The
story that I have written for you, you may not believe, but it really
happened, and if you want to learn an unusual story you should read
it by all means. A lot of interesting things have taken place in my
life, but I’ll relate it at another time, I won’t take
your time now.

I
live in the city that is more than 1500 years old. I have an
apartment on the old street of it. The house where we live, has
basements, one of them belongs to our family.

I
like to rummage in things, especially in old ones. There was a big
old chest in this basement. I had always wanted to open it and see
what was in it, as my Grannyused to prohibit me to come closer
to it,that`s
why this chest was closed for me.

I
was fourteen years old in 1985 when my Granny was gone. I loved her
and suffered very much.

At
the same time, I couldn’t forget that chest which I wanted to
look into. One day I took the basement key without permission, went
down and opened the chest. There were a lot of stuff inside it, but I
didn’t rummage much because for some reason, my attention was
straightly drawn by one thing. It was something like a diary though
it didn’t look like a diary. The cover was so worn out that it
came apart in my handsas I touched.

I
am relating to you the exact story described on these papers: this
story happens in an old town.

*****

A
boy is sitting in an apartment of one of the houses of this town. His
name is Thomas.

Thomas
has become seventeen years old today. Hehas had only one guest for today, it
was the doorman of this house where Thomas lived. He was mute,
because he had no tongue.Thomas’s
whole family died a week ago that’s why he was so lonely.

He
is very depressed; he takes a book and starts to read. He closes the
book in a few minutes and goes out for a walk.

After
three hours stroll he, tired, comes back home, lies down and sinks in
thoughts, soon he falls asleep.

In
the morning he wakes up with the thought that he has to change
something in his life, because he can’t go on existence so
depressed. He gets up quickly, puts himself in order and goes to
university. Friends
meet him at university.

One
of his friends, David: Where have you been? You haven’t come to
lectures for a week.

Thomas:
It’s hard to get used to what has happened, I spent all the
time in thinking.

David:
When a professor learnt about your absence he got very angry and
asked me to see you, if you haven’t come today I was going to
visit you tomorrow.

Thomas:
I’ll go up to him and talk.Then
Thomas said goodbye to his friend ran up the stairs and knocked at
the door at the end of the corridor.

Professor:
Come in, Thomas you?! Come in, come in. Do you know how I worried
about you? And besides it I promised your deceased father to take
care of you. Maybe I shouldn’t tell you but he came to me two
days earlier his death and I promised him to take care of your
future.

Thomas:
Professor, I decided to continue my studies. I spent this time
thinking of it.

Professor:
This decision will give you belief, first of all to go on living.

Thomas:
I know that’s a right decision and thank you for your
encouragement.

Professor:
If you let me know what you are going to do I’ll be grateful.

Thomas:
Professor, I highly appreciate your point of view. Tell me what I
should do in life and I’ll take it into consideration.

Professor:
Do as you decided and I’ll help in every way. Now you should go
to the lecture. We’ll have the chance to talk later.Thomas
said goodbye to the professor and went into the corridor. A stranger
was waiting for him there.

The
stranger: I have some business with you. I used to work with your
farther. If you allow me, I’ll wait for you and talk to you
after lectures.

Thomas
nodded him as a sign ofhis agreement and went to the
lecture.

The
stranger went out of the building and sat down on the bench in the
small square on the opposite side, took out the cigarette and began
to smoke.

After
the lectures Thomas went down to the university yard and got the
square, he noticed the stranger sitting on the bench, came nearer and
sat down next to him.

The
stranger: My name’s Shvarc, I am here on your father’s
instruction. He asked me to make friends with you, as if he knew
about this tragedy and foresaw these moments. As we have to solve a
difficult task, he sent me to you if you don’t mind.

Thomas:
Are a detective, too?

Shvarc:
Yes, we used to work together. I’d like to give you your
father’s golden pen. He always had it with him and gave it to
me that day when he asked me to come to you.

Thomas:
Thank you, my dad used to have a real collection of pens. All right,
now let’s proceed to the point and tell me if you found out
what happened in that evening. Why did my family leave that damned
party so suddenly?

Shvarc:
I acquainted myself with the materials of investigation and from the
guests’ testimony it seems that Carl was too anxious. From one
of the witness’s testimony it’s clear that your father
got anxious at time when a guest came in and he suddenly left the
party. What happened later you know and I won’t repeat it.

Thomas:
No, Mr. Shvarc. I only know that dad’s car went out of the road
and fell into the ravine, I don’t know details.

Shvarc:
The car examination showed us all parts were in order, that’s
why it’s possible to admit that something ran across before the
car and Carl braked badly.

Thomas:
I don’t know how it happened, dad used to drive well. Tell me,
how can you explain that parents had completely white hair after the
accident?

Shvarc:
I think about this issue and I cannot understand what the point is.
It’s impossible such changes occurred while the car was
falling. Carl was a good driver really.Thomas:
Can you find out who was the reason of my dad’s leaving that
party? Why did they leave my uncle’s palace so senselessly?

Shvarc:
Of course, it’s a very suspicious fact that Carl left the party
so suddenly. I have to find out tomorrow why a detective didn’t
investigate who was that person or what relation it had with Carl.
OK, I’ll try to get necessary information for us andinform youthen. My new friend I have to leave
you for a while, because I’m very busy.

Shvarc
and Thomas said good buy to each other and went away.

Thomas
decided to visit his uncle and went along the narrow street which
stretched to the end of the town, where was his uncle’s palace.
As he entered the palace he went along the wide corridor, at the end
of which there was his uncle’s study. Thomas knocked at the
door but there was no answer. It was strange that entering the palace
he didn’t meet anyone. Neither a doorman who never left his
post, the door was notably open. Thomas opened the study door,
because he heard some noise inside. He looked into, but there was
nobody. He closed the door and entered the kitchen through the
corridor. He learnt from the maid his uncle, Mr. Hallen was walking
in the garden. He went out from the kitchen backdoor and saw his
uncle, who was talking to a tall man. This man, as he had noticed
Thomas, said goodbye to Mr. Hallen slowly and left that place in a
hurry.

Mr.
Hallen noticed all this and went towards Thomas.

Mr.
Hallen: How are you, Thomas? Where have you been? Why didn’t
you come to me? You shouldn’t leave this old man alone.

Thomas
turned his head in a strange way and looked towards the direction
where the stranger vanished away.

Thomas:
Who was that man? I had a bad feeling as I saw him. Why did he leave
so soon?

Mr.
Hallen: No, what are you talking about? He was just in a hurry
furthermore, we`d had a long talk.Thomas:
Can you tell me who he is?

Mr.
Hallen: He’s my colleague.

Thomas:
Does your colleague have a name?

Mr.
Hallen: His name’s Eshman Loz. We are working on an issue, he’s
a doctor. Now you reply. Why haven’t you come?

Thomas:
I had to do a lot at university and I was busy. Uncle Hallen, tell
me, who was that person who made my dad leave the party.

Mr.
Hallen: He’s my and your father’s childhood friend. They
had a problem, that’s why Carl didn’t like his coming.

Thomas:
Uncle, I think you don’t tell me everything. What are you
hiding?! Say or I’ll never step into your home and you’ll
never learn about me.

Mr.
Hallen got white as a white brick and his lips got blue.

Mr.
Hallen: What are you talking about? Aren’t you ashamed? Why
should I deceive you? I don’t know anything.

Thomas;
You know everything very well and you hide something. I insist on
telling me the truth.

Mr.
Hallen; I told you he’s your father’s old friend. They
had some trouble that was not forgotten by any of them.

Thomas:
Then tell me what you’re hiding from me and also tell me that
man’s identity to who you’ve been talking, because my
heart feels he is sure to have some connection with everything.

Mr.
Hallen: I am not hiding anything you know I want only the good for
you.

Thomas:
Despite my respect and love towards you, I don’t believe you.

Mr.
Hallen: Thomas, what’s the matter with you? I cannot recognize
you, how are you talking to me?! There is no necessity to know more
than you do, it can harm you.

Thomas:
OK, if you don’t tell me, I’ll learn it myself and never
come to you.

Mr.
Hallen bent his head as if someone clipped him on the nape andhe shyly looked at Thomas.

Mr.
Halen: His name’s Loz, That’s the man who made Carl
irritated and he left my palace on that damned day.

Thomas:
That’s tall man who you talked with in the garden, isn’t
he? I knew it, that’s I felt.

Mr.
Hallen: Thomas, son, let’s delay our talk, because I’m
too tired, moreover it’s time to take a medicine, I‘ve
headaches and I’m receiving treatment. I ask you to stay here
today, I feel sick and I told you what you asked?! Let’s enter.

Mr.
Hallen tapped Thomas on the shoulder and went in. Thomas stayed for a
few minutes and then went into the palace too.

Suddenly
there was made a stir in the palace. Mr. Halen got worse. Servants
called for a doctor, but before his arrival Mr. Halen had gone.

Thomas
was watching everything without uttering a word. Then he went out of
the palace in a hurry and went home. He was going up the stairs in
the entrance, when he heard the sound ofphone ringing from his apartment and
he hastened. He opened the door in a hurry and rushed to the phone.
He was listening in astonishment to a voice in the receiver. He hung
down the receiver and talked to himself: ‘Uncle has gone! I’ve
already known it.’He
stayed stiff for a few minutes, then went to the kitchen, filled the
kettle with water and put it on the cooker. He was standing
thoughtful at the window when the kettle started to hiss, as if
calling Thomas to pay attention to it. He got the tea ready and when
it got a bit cool, he drank it in two or three gulps. Then he decided
to go back to uncle Hallen’s palace. He changed clothes and
went. When he came there, there were a lot of police, doctors and a
lot of people.

The
police officers told him, that on the basis of the primary
examination there were signs of a heart attack.
In the meantime police and doctors finished their work and left the
palace.

Thomas
doubted, that Doctor Loz have had some connection with it, that’s
why he decided to examine his uncle’s study in hope that he
would find an address or a document that could help him to find Loz.
When he came nearto
the study he heard some noise again that’s why he opened the
door in a hurry, but there was nobody again. Thomas found a notebook
on the desk, where there was his uncle’s workmates’ phone
numbers written. He thoroughly looked through the notes, but could
not find Loz’s name.

He
decided to call some workmates, maybe he could find out something
about doctor Loz. He had made phone calls to tens of workmates but
nobody knew Doctor Eshman Loz.

Thomas
could not understand what made his uncle tell a lie, that he was his
colleague. There was a knock at the door and a maid went into the
study, she brought him a white note. It was a letter from Mr. Shvarc,
he asked Thomas in the letter to meet him in a small restaurant that
was on the same street.

Thomas
left the study slowly and went to the appointed restaurant, where Mr.
Shvarc was waiting for him.

Shvarc:
I have a medical report, where there’s written, that your
parents died from a heart attack and not from the accidental
injuries. I am sorry to tell you so openly.

Thomas:
What do you mean...

Shvarc:
I mean that your parents had died from a heart attack, before the car
fell down into the ravine. As to the hair color, it isn’t clear
what made their hair whiten. Hypothetical conclusion is that
something happened with them beforethe accident. There is not another
explanation of this occurrence. One more thing, I’ve brought
the guests’ list there are who were invited to that damned
party. Here it is you can look it through.

Thomas:
There isn’t that man’s name in this list. Who madethis list?

Shvarc:
It was in the investigation materials. Invitations and your uncle’s
testimony indicate the same. The doorman says in his testimony, that
only two men entered the palace without invitations on that day.

One
of them was a beautiful woman and the other the mayor of the town,
who came without invitation, he wasn’t expected.

Thomas:
If nobody else came in, how did that man turn upat the party? Did he get over the
window? Maybe he stole into quietly.

Shvarc:
You missed a case, it’s possible he had been in the palace
before the party started and then he went out to the guests.

Thomas:
I don’t think so. He, Doctor Loz could change into a beautiful
woman and got into the party.

Thomas
smiled coldly, then he drew attention to his own words and his face
got distorted.Shvarc:
Tell me his name, I might find him.

Thomas:
Eshman Loz. He is tall red haired man.

Shvarc:
I’m sure to find him. Now I have to go to get some information
for today. I’ll see you tomorrow by all means.

They
said good bye to each other, Thomas left the restaurant and went
home. He had such a feeling as if someone was watching for him. He
speeded steps up. He heard a quiet giggle from somewhere far. From
time to time this giggle got closer little by little, but he could
not see anyone. The voice became stronger.

Thomas
went into the first open store and called for a taxi from there. It
took only five minutes for a car to arrive. He got into the car and
told the driver his address. He stopped the car at the entrance of
the house. He paid and went up to his apartment. Then he entered the
kitchen, put the thinly sliced sausage on bread and went into the
room. He sat down on the nearest sofa, as he ate a sandwich he bent
there as a kitten, covered himself with a plaid and fell asleep.Thomas
was woken up bythe
noise coming from the street. He got up from the sofa, went to the
bedroom and went on his sleep there. It was half past eleven in the
morning, when he was woken up by the knock at the door. He got up
from the bed and opened the door.

The
doorman was standing at the door. He gestured to him that he had a
business. Thomas asked the doorman to put off theirtalk for the next time and let him
go.

He
looked at the clock there was no point in going to university, so he
decided to stay at home. He would wait for Mr. Shvarc. He walked up
and down till five o’clock, until Ellen, a cleaner came. She
brought some food, cleaned the apartment and cooked. Then she left
the apartmentwithout
speaking to himbecause Thomas didn’t utter
evena
word to her during this time.

Time
went by, but Mr. Shvarc was not in sight. One more hour went by and
the knock at the door was heard.

Thomas
opened the door hoping that there would be Mr. Shvarc, but a police
officer was standing in the doorway.

Thomas:
Who do you want?

A
police officer: I’ve come to inform you that Mr. Shvarc was
found killed on Marxstreet and because one more thing,
he had a note in his notebook about your appointment. By the way I
was your father’s colleague and respected him very much.

Thomas:
He had to visit me today.

A
police officer: You know you have a witness status. Nevertheless I
would be charged to question you and so I decided to carry out this
procedure with you in advance, if you don’t mind.

Thomas:
I don’t mind really, but I don’t know anything about this
case. He used to come just to encourage me. With your permission, if
you don’t have any more questions I’ll go because I’d
like to see that place where this tragedy or a criminal case
happened.

A
police officer: No, I have no more questions. Are you too going to
become a detective or is it just a call of blood?

Thomas:
By no means. I’m just interested in what happened.

Thomas
said goodbye to the guest and entered his father’s study. He
copied Mr. Shvarc’s address from his father`sphonebook and went out to the street
to catch a taxi. He caught a taxi soon and went to the indicated
address.

When
he got there he asked a driver to wait for him. He went up to the
indicated apartment. There was a police officer at Mr. Shvarc’s
home.

Thomas:
I’m a son of Mr. Shvac`s friendI learnt what happened and got
interested, because we had to meet each other today. A
police officer: Are you Carl’s son?

Thomas:
Yes.

A
police officer: There are very few professional detectives like your
father. As concerns Mr. Shvarc had fallen victim to robbery.

Thomas:
How did this accident happen?

A
police officer: His corpse was found robbed on Marx Street. It is
noteworthy that his body was without a head. They have been looking
for the head for two hours, but they couldn’t find yet.Thomas:
Without a head?! How is it?

A
police officer: At my childhood I had a cousin in the countryside who
used to catch a hen and tear its head apart by handand his body looks like it exactly.
It’s interesting that a robber took his clothes too. There was
his identity card in a few steps distance from the place of murder,
as if it was left on purpose to identify him.

Thomas:
Tell me, where did this horrible case take place?

A
police officer: Between Numbers seventeen and twenty seven on Marx
Street, there are old houses which are marked with numbers.

Thomas:
Yes, I know. This street is in the outskirts of the town. Thank you
for information, officer.

Thomas
said goodbye to the police officer, got into the taxi and asked the
driver to take him to Marx Street. He told the driver not to go and
wait for him there. He went to that place which was fenced around
with a yellow ribbon by the police. He examined that place, but
couldn’t notice anything suspicious.

Thomas
decide to act as a newspaper’s correspondent and thus to get
his necessary information. He went to the first, nearest house.
Thomas rang a bell. A young man opened the door. Thomas showed him a
university card from the distance and lied as if he was a newspaper’s
correspondent. He couldn’t get anything interesting from him
and went towards another house. He noticed that there was not light
on in the whole house, but someone was standing at the window of the
ground floor. When he came closer a silhouette standing at the window
disappeared. He decided to enter the house however and rang a bell.
An old woman opened the door.

An
old woman: I haven’t been at home I haven’t seen murder I
don’t know anything I’ve just come.

Thomas:
I haven’t mentioned murder. How do you know about the murder if
you aren’t lying?

The
old woman rudely repeated to him that she didn’t know anything
and banged the door before his nose. Thomas didn’t dare to
disturb the old woman again and left the place.

He
thought to be in a fairy tale, where he was absolutely alone and
everybody deceived him. He was sure that old woman was hiding
something from him. He decided to come the next day.

Thomas
got into a taxi and asked to drive home. On his way home he thought
only about not telling anything to anybody because he was sure it
would do harm to him. He was in thoughts of it when the car stopped
at his house.

Thomas
saw the doorman at the entrance of the house, as if he was waiting
for him. He followed Thomas at home. There hetook out a piece of paper and a pen
from the pocket and then he wrote something.

Thomas
read this writing in a loud voice: Relate to me, Mr. Thomas. I think
I can help you.

Thomas
stayed still for a few minutes and then related everything.

The
doorman stood up and went into the study, sat down at the desk. There
was a pile of papers. He took out one of them and began to write.

Thomas
was looking at him in astonishment, but didn’t prevent him. He
wrote probably for an hour. Thomas was sitting motionlessin an armchair and waiting.

At
last he finished to write, he brought Thomas the writing and put it
on his knees, he went out of the room.

Thomas
didn’t say a word and began to read loudly: ‘Sixty years
passed after that horror what happened to me and I have been waiting
for this day, when I would relate this story to someone. I am not
scared any more, somehow or other, what is to happen it will happen
and I know that I won’t do harm to you because you have already
been in danger and I suppose my letter will answer a lot of your
questions. Ireached
an agreement, that I have been sorry for my whole life. We, earth men don’t
have enough strength to breakan agreement with them.

I
was fifteen when it was found out that I had a strange disease. I
felt terribly, doctors told us that there were some months left to
live. I had no strength for anything I could neither eat nor drink.
Gradually I couldn’t walk, even family members avoided me. I
saw disgust for me in their eyes. My mum separated out a place in the
attic and made a comfortableroom for me to take me away from
people’s sight.

I
looked awfully, I couldn’t look into the mirror, I was scared
to see myself I couldn’t understand I was alive or dead.

During
these sixty years I only once have glanced into the mirror and I
seemed that sick boy again.I
sat in the attic and prayed the God to help, but there was no help.
One night an angel appeared in my dream who told me that after death
he would take my spirit to paradise. I fool preferred hell to
paradise. I thought the God left me, I didn’t know that it was
a reward and the angel was my Savior. Which carnal torture can be
compared to spiritual agony? I have been making sure of in the truth
of these words everyday for sixty years. I think the same is in store
for you and so care about saving your spirit.

Two
days ago, when you were at university, a creature entered the
entrance, I recognized him as heappeared. His name’s Barbu. He
went up to your floor and stayed there for two hours. Then I followed
him, he entered a big white house on Marx Street.

It’s
that creature who visited me in the attic at that cruel night sixty
years ago. It was a usual day for me sixty years ago when there was a
party in my family. All relatives and friends were invited. My
humaneness was over that day, I was angry sitting in the attic and I
was choking with bile. This anger made a fool of me so much that I
had been asking the forces of evil to help me during several days.
One day I was just asleep, when I was woken by a noise. When I opened
my eyes I saw a small, fat man sitting in the armchair opposite side
of me and he was looking at me in such a way as if I owed to him. Of
course Igot
frightened and I pressed myself to the wall little by little. I
wanted to scream, but I couldn’t as if I swallowed my tongue.

He
told me – ‘Don’t be afraid, I am here to help you.
On condition that you follow me you’ll be saved.’ I,
idiot, told him without a thought - ‘If only I avoid torture,
I‘ll follow you to hell.’ He looked at me and said –
‘What’s said, needs to be fulfilled, let’s do it.’

I
didn’t realize what I was speaking. Then worth slipped off my
tongue. He asked me treacherously – ‘Maybe you can’t
stand parting from your family and you’ll break an agreement.’
Pains left me little by little and I gave emotions the way –
‘Damn this house and family too.’ As I had finished these
words we found ourselves opposite side of our house on the street. I
looked towards the direction of the house and I saw my house
enveloped in flames from every quarter. The house was reduced to
ashes in no time, I couldn’t realize what happened.It
was obvious that my illness had passed by that time. So I lost the
whole family. Then he said to go and I only could realize as we found
ourselves on an unknown street.

There
was a big white house which had windows in the shapes of eggs. He
told me to come in and we found ourselves in a dark room. That room
had five resembling doors. There was a big, to be more precise, as if
artificially inflated bird perching on a special shelf at one of the
doors. This strange bird was looking at me as a master at his
servant. My whole body was trembling from its look.

Then
we went to another room. My legs didn’t obey me they moved
themselves towards where my companion went to. He opened the door and
let me go in, while he stayed outside.

There
was one more door in this room. A tall creature, with red hair went
out from the room and spoke to me – ‘You probably came
with Barbu, come on, come on. Suddenly I heard a furious voice from
the room saying:–
‘Let Barbu gets in no time.’...and at the same time the
door was open and closed so powerfully as if an invisible man rushed
into the room. The red-headed man told me –‘A century
passes so that master hasn’t got angry with his servants, it
seems that your savior’s presentlymade a mistake.’ He waited for
a few minutes and opened the door he signed me to come in. It smelt
of rust and it was dark. I had such a feeling, as if the room was too
huge. Suddenly then the place was lighted up where a desk and an
armchair were situated. Someone was sitting at the table. He was
talking to Barbu in a low voice. Then Barbu stood up and went out.
The red-headed man signed me to sit down into a white armchair and he
sat down into a black armchair nearby. The man sitting at the table
asked me in a low awesome voice if I knew where I was.

I
nearly swallowed my
tongue from fear.I
couldn’t reply.

He
went on – ‘You are responsible for two things, the first
– when we charge you with something, you must fulfill it,
otherwise you’ll get worse than you had to do. The second -
don’t you dare say anything to anyone or you’ll get the
same as I’ve mentioned in the first case. You’ll have to
sit on the burning hot stovein any case. Now follow my servant
and do what he’ll tell you. I didn’t dare to say a word
and I nodded as a sign ofmy agreement.

Then
the red-headed man and I went into the depth of the roomand perhaps walked for ten minutes
in suchdarkness
that I couldn’t see anything.

The
red-headed man told me that we had come and that place got hardly
lighted at once. There was a golden bowl on the three-legged chair
there. He handed me something like scissors and told me I had to cut
out my tongue myself. He told me it as if I had to tear off an apple
from a tree.I
took a cutter, got my tongue out without a thought and cut it. Then I
put both of them into the bowl. It was strange, that I only feel
little pain. Then we turned around and came back. We had a shorter
walk on our way back. By that time pain was passed away and bleeding
was stopped. When we approached the door there was not a table any
more, but that voice addressed the red haired man – Eshman! You
may let him go, but tell Barbu to keep an eye on him.

Thomas
stopped reading and put papers on the table. He seemed to feel
something and went to see the author of this writing. The door was
opened on the ground floor.

Thomas
went in and saw that the doorman was very sick. He decide to call for
a doctor and went back home. He called the family doctor and asked
him to come. Then he came to the table, where he left the papers,
looked at them and he saw that the papers were blank, as if nobody
had written anything on them. Everything was clear to him. He was
astonished, but he didn’t lose hisnerve and went down to the doorman
in order to meet the doctor. He tried to talk to the doorman, but he
was so unconscious, that he couldn’t understand anything.
Meanwhile the doctor came.

Thomas:
Doctor Fogel, I ask you to help him.

The
doctor looked at the sick man and said with a gloomy face: ‘Only
the Father can help him.’

Thomas:
He has something to tell me and we must save him alive.Fogel:
I doubt there is something to save him, it’s too late. What
have you thought so far or why haven’t you taken him to
hospital?! Poor man, he may have been in this condition for two
months.

Thomas:
What are you talking about? He was absolutely healthy yesterday.

Doctor:
Are you kidding? How could such a sick man do anything yesterday? He
couldn’t even walk, could he?

Thomas:
Mr. Fogel, he was really fit yesterday. I am not kidding.

Fogel:
Ok, let’s talk about it later, now go and get a car, we have to
take the sick man to hospital.

Thomas
went out into the street, stop a taxi then they put the doorman into
the car and took him to hospital.

Thomas
was sitting in the reception of the hospital and couldn’t
decide whether he would say or not the truth to Doctor Fogel. He
decided to act as the situation required, he had to explain Fogel
everything, as the doctor wouldn`t think him insane. He was in the
thought of it, when Doctor Fogel went out into the reception.

Fogel:
I have bad news your friend has several days to live. By the way he
has been ill for a long time. But you insisted the opposite. It’s
impossible that he was fit yesterday, he has sarcoma. Do you know
what illness sarcoma is?

Thomas:
There happen such things, that have no explanation, but they still
happen, don’t they?

Fogel:
They happen, but not in medicine.

Thomas:
I’ll tell you the incredible truth and I hope you’ll get
convinced of my correctness.

Thomas
related the doctor everything and he understood then that he put him
in danger. Though, he couldn’t return the time by regret.

Fogel:
OK, show me the letter and let’s put
a dot on this matter.

Thomas:
The letter that was written on a piece of paper disappeared after
reading.

Fogel:
OK, let’s suppose I’ll believe everything, though I
haven’t believed in fairy tales for a long time.

Thomas:
Mr. Fogel you’d better not to believe me. I’m sorry to
disturb you and thank you for everything. It seems I behave in a
strange way today. Now I have to go, I’d like to see our sick
man, can I?

Fogel:
Yes, sure, just takethese
two pills. Take them
and they’ll
makeyou
calm down.

Thomas
said goodbye to the doctor and went in to see the sick man, he
dropped those two pills into the garbage can on his way. He came to
the bed and tried to talk to the doorman, but there was no point,
because there were no signs of life left. Thomas stayed on for ten
minutes and went home to have a good sleep.

He
was in bed, but he couldn’t sleep. He was anxious by everything
that happened to him. After an hour of torture he fell asleepat last.

It
was eleven o’clock in the morning when he woke up. He didn’t
want to get up, but he forced himself. He was in such a condition
that he wanted to burst into tears, but they didn`t come out of his
eyes.He
knew one thing for sure that
fear could make
his soul rotten and bring him
nearto
death. That’s why he decided not to wait for events to be
developed. He got
ready, put on dark coloredclothes and went to uncle Hallen’s
funeral. He could possibly
meet Eshman Loz there. There were a
lot of people at the funeral ceremony in the palace. He noticed a
tall man with red hair among
the guestsand
he quickly went to himin order
to see whether he was that one or not, but this man was neither red
hairednor
tall, he was old, short and bald at the same time. Thomas understoodhe already started having
imaginations. He
felt insane at the ceremony, because it was all the same for him.

Thomas
had such a face as if he was invited to an exhibition of paintingsin the gallery and these people were
artists.

He
agreed with himself to accept unusual things as usual ones because it
would help him to
stay in his right mind. Thomas
decided to leave the ceremony and went to say goodbye to his aunt. In
the meanwhile Loz, whom
Thomas was looking for desperately,
seemed to come out from nowhere and came to them. He kissed the
spouse of Mr. Hallenon hand without bending and tapped
Thomas on the shoulder.

Loz:
You should be proud of your uncle, he was a brave man. His heart
couldn’t bear this tragedy and he died from
heart-break. He used
to talk with me a lot about your
family, surely only good things, and he cared about you as well. Poor
Hallen... Now I have to leave you because I’m in a hurry to
my colleges, you know what this mean
to miss somebody.Thomas listened to him like a mute
and couldn’t tell him anything only after Loz left he uttered a
voice.

Thomas:
Aunt, do you know this man?

Aunt:
Yes, he’s Hallen’s colleague, he met him at one
of the conferences,
I think his name’s
Loz.

Thomas:
Everything is clear.

He
made an excuse to his
aunt and tried to follow the trace
of Loz, but he was out of sight.

Thomas
decided to walk home. To
his way home he thought about what
to do, how to act. There was no use to postpone time. He realized who
and what he dealt with although his heart felt neither good nor bad.
He just realized that he had to go to the end.

Thomas
was not afraid of thecruelty that would expect him. He
himselfhad
to struggle for his soul to save. Suddenly he remembered that old
woman who answered his questions suspiciously. That’s why he
changed his mind to go home and headed to the street where Mr. Shvarc
was found murdered.

When
he got the indicated street, first of all he went to that old woman’s
house. It was afternoon and the weather was too hot. Despite this
heat all the windows were closed. Then Thomas noticed anote on the fence announcing
the house was for sale.

Thomas
smiled ironically, as
he camethe point. He just felt sorry for
the old woman who could be already dead. He saw a girl going out from
the neighboring house and in order to make inquiries he pretended to
be going to buy a house. He learnt from her
thatthe
owner of the house had died and her children wanted to sell the
house; and he learnt more how the poor woman died. She had a cat that
jumped from the window on the branch of the tree and couldn’t
come down. The old woman leaned over to help the cat and fell down
from the first floor.

He
stopped in astonishment at the end of the street, because he saw a
white house that was described in the doorman’s letter and
understood it was that street
about which the poor doorman
informedin
his letter. It was difficult to imagine that it was the same street
where Mr. Shvarc was murdered just in hundred steps distance that
very house was located which Thomas had been looking for. Everything
was clear. He had to enter the house, but not now, because he had to
see the doorman and he preferred to go to the hospital first.

As
he arrived he met Doctor Fogel, who told him he might not have time
to see him alive because the doorman was on the verge of death. Hequickly went
up to the ward, but unfortunately Doctor Fogel was right the patient
was dead. Thomas found Doctor Fogel, he was in his room.

Thomas:
What happened? Why did he die so suddenly?

Fogel:
Why suddenly?
He, poor had to die so far. He has been ill for very long time.
That`s wonder
that he has lived till now. By the way a pretty, tall woman visited
him recently, who disappeared so that I couldn’t notice how she
came out from the
room.

Thomas:
Were you waiting for her outside? Why?

Fogel:
I don’t know why, but I was standing and waiting when she would
come out. Then, when she didn’t come out then I entered and
there was nobody except the patient inside.

Thomas:
Did you relate to anyone about it? You’ll getintodanger if you blurt
it out to someone.

Fogel:
I haven’t told anyone about this case, I have been waiting for
you to relate it to you. And what danger are you talking about? Have
I done something wrong?

Thomas:
You saw one of them. It’s enough to put
your-self indanger. I advise you to take some
days off and go somewhere. Let’s hope that everything will be
all right.
Maybe they won’t harm you, because you told only me. I have
already known about them.

Fogel:
What will you do, aren`tyou in danger?

Thomas:
Expectation of grief is worse than grief itself. That’s why I
am not going to stay in this state for a long time and I’ll get
into contact with them tomorrow. Excuse me Doctor Fogel but I won’t
tell you anything more or else
I’ll really get you into trouble by my words. I’d like to
ask you something, can you take care of this poor man’s
funeral, I have to get ready for tomorrow.

The
doctor nodded in agreement. Thomas said goodbye and headed home.
Thomas knew that the doctor was in danger, but he couldn’t help
him, becausehecouldn’t afford as
he didn`t have enough strength.
Assoon
as he came home he took the family
album and began to look it through. He couldn’t understand why
this accident happened to his family.He
looked through photographs thoroughly. Then
he took the album into the study to put it into the
drawer of a
writing-table, but all the drawers
were locked. He looked for a key of drawers, but he couldn’t
find, he brought a sharp sword and forced a lock to
break open. There were enumerated
photographs, where deceased people were shown.Thomas
broke open the next drawer and he found the pictures of the same
type.

In
the next drawer that he forced there were enumerated documents. He
took one of the first documents and started reading. ‘On the
corpse, found by us, there are two...’ and Thomas realized it
was materials of investigation. According
to numbers he found a picture, where
killed mother and her child were shown.
He found in the materials that a head of the family killed his wife
and child and the court brought in a verdict of mentally sick.

Then
there was a text of such contents: as if a ten-year-oldchild cut his family into pieces
with a sickle and then he hanged himself. Thomas got interested in
another picture, wherethere were naked dead bodies of a
man and woman without their heads. By corresponding numbers in a
document, it was found out that the heads of these bodies were found
under the priest’s bed in the bedroom of one of the churches.
He didn’t plead guilty in murder, but still he was accused and
sentenced to death.

Thomas
was sure that these
murders had one director. He already knew that his father had
investigated these cases and that’s why this grief happened to
his family. Thomas had to find
outonly
that why he was left alive.He
sat in the armchair and thought how to act next. He looked at the
clock on the wall. It was too late. He was felt
so depressed that he couldn’t do anything. He decided to go to
bed. It was ten o’clock in the morning when he woke
up. He had such a feeling as if the
earth was removedfrom its axis and was falling
through eternity. He was in such mood till afternoon then he got up
suddenly and went to Marx
Street, wherethat
big white house was
located.

Thomas
didn’t dare to come closer to the house, but some power pulled
him towards
the house. He knew one thing exactly if he had managed
to save his soul he would save
himself and that was the most important thing for him.

He
approached the
door and knocked several times, but there was no answer. He knocked
again. Thomas felt that there was someone behind the door. As if he
was given time to change his mind to enter inside. When he was about
to knock again and raised his hand, the door was opened suddenly. A
pretty woman opened the door and invited him to enter.She
offered Thomas to take a seat on the nearest armchair. In less than two minutes after
sittingthere
he heard a deep voice saying, to take him in andjustin the tenth of second he was in the
room. Right this room was described in the doorman’s letter.
Thomas noticed the strange bird mentioned in the letter whichwas perching on the shelf bending
its head. The inflated bird look up at him and bent its head again,
it looked as if it had some troubles.

Thomas
saw five identical doors there. Someone came out from one of the
doors. He was tall, absolutely bald and had long arms in comparison
with his body. He pointed to the middle door with his hand to enter,
as if the bird was guarding that door. That room had one more door,
exactly as it was described in the letter. It was dark and there was
an awful smell. There was a strange creature there that left the room
as he had seen them and he took the awful smell with him.

Then
a furious voice was heard: ‘Mugersa! Lead the guest in.’

This
room was similar to the room described in the letter except one
thing. There were three armchairs instead of two, two black ones and
one white. Mugersa signed Thomas with his hand to sit down in the
white armchair, he himself sat down on a black one.

In
several seconds a small lampwas switched on at the
writing-table. Thomas saw a middle-aged stranger sitting in the
armchair at the table on the opposite side of him, who had a
strangely handsome face. His face reminded Thomas a lot of
acquaintances, he couldn’ttake his eyes off him and he was
staring at him.

Then
the man sitting in the armchair looked at him.

The
stranger: I don’t conceal the fact and say directly that you
aroused my interest.
Do you know where and with who you
are? And if you know, why didn’t you avoid our meeting?
Moreover, it seems you were eager for it.

Thomas:
I felt inwardly what I was doing.I knew I would come to be here and
what is inevitable there is no point to change it. It seems I’d
like it.

The
stranger: There is nothing inevitable on the earth. You knew that you
could die but, despite thatyou still have come. I haven’t
seen such a person for several centuries.

Thomas:
I am thirsty and I think I can slake my sense of thirst here. I am
just an ordinary mortal.

The
stranger: Immortality depends on you. By the way, my name’s
Luci and my subordinate people call me patron. People use my name
more frequently than the creator’s and this isn’t
pleasant to me, because I am sick
and tired of their relations to me. A human being has one main, bad
habit he blames everything on others and nothing on himself. Maybe
we are guilty of everything. They think I invented hell,
but I don’t like the
existingsituation that is there too. Now
you’ll attenda
case,just
watch and listen, you’ll make sure that I know people and it
makes me different from others. Ok, let’s begin. By the way
there is no need to be in a hurry, because we have plenty of time,
but remember it is sometimes too hot here.

Lucisigned Mugersa with
a hand to start a show.

Mugersa:
This story happened at a very poor family. Father stole his
children’s food and ate secretly. Then one of children died of
hunger.

Luci:
It’s interesting what he’ll say.

Suddenly
a terrible smell stirred in air and an extraterrestrial creature of
unknown origin jumped up on the table. He had a head like an owl and
a body like a wild boar.

Luci:
You rogue. What did I tell you when I have a guest, don’t enter
a room, didn’t
I ?! Now
I’ll order tohave you put
into the barrel full of water and
can its hood.
It’s said
about you, if a pig
is feathered it won`t become a pigeon.

An
owl headed: That’s true a pig will never become a pigeon. But
patron, I don’t want to be a pigeon. I’m sorry, I won’t
do it again I just wanted to see a guest.

Luci:
Ok, get away, Balvai go and tell Barbu to take that patient in. The
owl headed jumped down
from the table so quickly that
Thomas couldn’t catch sight where he rushed away.

Luci:I need this damned one, otherwise I
wouldn’t be able to stand himfor a momentand this smell of a drowned body...I
don’t like, but what can I do? I
have such profession. A long time
ago I even can’t remember when it was exactly, he was
travelling with his family by ship.

His
family was considered as an educated and civilized family in their
part of the world. The ship struck a reef and began to drown. Instead
of looking for and care about his family members, he managed to jump
into one of the first life-boats
and thought that he saved himself and was safe. Then that boat
couldn’t reach land, yet and it sank. I found him dead and
brought with me. Since
thenhis
whole body gets rumpled when water is mentioned. Tell me please, what
did the
Creator and I do with this case?

Luci`svoice ran throughout Thomas’s
body. Then Barbu and Mugersa opened the door, they brought someone
in, whose body was trembling from fear.

Barbu
made him sit down on the white armchair and went out. Mugarsa sat
down by the side ofThomas.

This
stranger was trembling and looking around as a mad man.

Mugersa:
Your behavior attracted our attention.

The
stranger: I don’t know what happened to me, that I stole food
from children who had not eaten for a day and half.

Mugersa:
You couldn’t behave in another way, because when a man is
hungry a wild animal wakes up in him.

Luci:
When children fell asleep then you rushed to food. You knew that
children were hungry, didn`t you?!

The
stranger: I am guilty, but I didn’t think at that moment, it
was important to satiate myself.

Luci:
It’s clear, but another one isn’t clear that you
mentioned me several times and blamed me for whispering evil in your
ear.

Luci
didn’t give him a chance to answer and signed Mugersa to take
him out of the room.

Luci:
Can you see, Thomas, what’s the matter? We don’t touch
those who haven’t had the same intention they lead themselves
to do such evildeeds. I have no right to go and
tell them to do in this way or another. If I go, who will believe me?
I am considered as evil on people’s mind, as if I have been
created to frighten people by the Creator. As motherfrightens her child that grotesque
will come and eat you up, it is like that exactly.

They’ve
turned the earth into purgatory. Suddenly Mugersa appeared from
nowhere.

Mugersa:
Exactly.

Luci
: They call me cruel. When a man is going to do evil, he
says that he was harassed and tempted by unworthy to be mentioned, it
isn’t really true. There is brutality and evil in a man’s
mind. If he intends to do something evil we appear after it and we
don’t urge him by any means. Mugersa, I’ve told you a lot
of times, don’t appear so suddenly! Behave as it is common
among people, because everybody doesn’t have an ability to take
it as a usual thing and someone can get a heard attack.

There
was quiet for several minutes. Thomas knew that the speaker had
already decided to possess his soul and it was the purpose of the
performance.

Luci:
I need strong souls. It isn’t a secret that time has its
effect. My subordinates have got weaker little by little for several
centuries and new souls join us from time to time. You have a chance
to become one of them, moreover you have a stronger soul than some of
my servants and if you wish you could get what you desire.

Thomas:
I don’t conceal and I’ll tell you I am very annoyed with
everybody and everything since what’s happened to me recently.
As I entered here my pain relieved, but I feel lack of something and
I have to get know what by all means. In my opinion, the creator can
satisfy my thirst. And I don’t know what expects me here. God
created the amazing world, but you say that a man made it brutal.

Luci:
Yes, he made it brutal and he didn’t ask anybody. Remember, I
own the same power as the Creator does. A coin has two sides but it
still remains asa
coin. I’ll give you time to assure yourself. During your stay
with us you’ll see a lot of interesting things, not illusion
butreal
ones.Then
he called someone named Rushe and ordered him to host Thomas. Rushe
was old and a bit squint-eyed. Thomas and Rushe came out of the room.
Now they were in the room where (there was the strange bird perching
on the shelf, it was perching so motionless as if it turned into a
stuffed bird. Thomas didn’t even get surprised that the middle
room seemed to be vanishedsomewhere.

Rushe:
You can ask me what you are interested in, because I am a host at
your service and I’ll do what you ask, of course as far as
possible.Thomas
noticed that there appeared numbers above the doors.Rushe:
You may have noticed the rooms. You can satisfy all your desires
here.

Thomas:
What’s going on here? I’d like to enter this room.

Rushe:
I’d advise you to enter another room.

Thomas
understood that he would have to travel alone in the rooms. He asked
to enter the third room, Rushe opened the door and Thomas went in.It
seemed there were neither walls nor a ceiling, as if there was empty
space.

He
made some steps till thenhe met chests of drawers and chests
standing on the floor. He approached the nearest chest and opened it
up.

There
were various things. Then he came to a chest of drawers and put out a
drawer. There were some similar things there too.

He
couldn’t understand what these things were for. That’s
why he touched the first object in orderto
assure himself of its reality.
Suddenly his hand got hot and everything darkness fell in front of his
eyes . He got frightened, because he didn’t know what the
matter was going onand he took his hand back quickly.

Then
he thought for several minutes, what all this meant and suddenly, as
if someone prompted him how to act. Thomas began to openchests and chest of drawers standing
there, as if he was looking for an object.

He
stopped at one of the chests he bent over it and took something out
of the chest. On this instant it appeared him in reality, as if he
could see, by the eyes of the owner of the object, how he was
entering a room. He was holding a knife stained with blood in his
hand. He flinched suddenly, he released his hand from the object and
imagination disappeared. He went out confused from the room. Rushe
was waiting for him in the main room. He was standing on the same
place where Thomas left him before entering the room.

Rushe:
What happened? Is somebody pursuing you?

Thomas:
No, I’ll visit this room at another time. Tell me, what’s
going on in the fourth room?

Rushe:
It’s a room of stupid, punished souls there.

Thomas:
What will I see in the second room?

Rushe:
It’s the patron’s entertaining room he sometimes has fun
with his prey here.

Thomas:
Who do you mean by prey?

Rushe:
Stubborn souls, for instance Doctor Fogel. You advised him to take a
holiday but he settled down here.

Thomas:
Can I have a talk with him? And in general, how can I manage to talk
to anyone?

Rushe:
It takes you only to address yourself to his name, if he is there,
he’ll respond to call by all means.

Thomas
entered the mentioned room and called Mr. Fogel. A body of dim image
appeared before him.

Thomas:
Doctor Fogel, are you here?Doctor
Fogel: Yes, my friend, it’s me. I hoped not to meet you here.

Thomas:
I came here of my own accord, but how did you find yourself here?

Doctor
Fogel: When I saw you at the hospital last, I lied at that time when
I told you as if I didn’t see how the woman had left, who
visited your friend. In fact, when I entered the room there was not
the woman, but I saw how a strange bird flew up from the windowsill.
It looked at me with eyes like human at the time of flying up. After
that I talked to you though I didn’t tell you about it. You
really gave me good advice, but I had no time to follow it. On my way
home two elderly women in whitesasked me to stop a car. They told me
there would be a big sack in the middle of the road and they warned
me not to look into it. I just had to go past, but I didn`t believed
in their words. I stopped the car at the sack and looked into it. And
what did I see? There was a human body cut into pieces in the sack, I
got very frightened and got into the car quickly.

I
noticed that my hair turned quite white on my way.

I
was driving so fast that I got frightened myself, but I couldn’t
control myself. I thought only about what I had seen then I didn’t
remember how I found myself on the way down to the ravine.

I
tried to change the direction but I couldn`t controlthe wheel. But I remember how I
found myself at hospital, still alive. Then I saw how I separated
from my body and I saw what was happening to me from above. Thus I
found myself here. I have been here for several hours and it’s
already unbearable for me.

Thomas:
Your words cleared up the story. It’s clear now what happened
to my family during the accident. Thank you, Mr. Fogel. OK, I have to
leave you now and I’ll see you later by all means.

Thomas
said goodbye to the doctor, he pronounced Shvarc’s name and a
dim body appeared again.

Thomas:
Mr. Shvarc, is that you?

Shvarc:
Yes, that’s me my young friend.

Thomas:
It’d be better to know from the beginning what danger we got
ourselves into, but what could we change by it? I don’t know.

Shvarc:
I don`t regret, because I used to help my friend and I am not going
to stay here for a long time.

Thomas:
What do you hope for?

Shvarc:
I think if I don’t act in concert with them help will come from
heaven very soon.

Thomas:
Can you advise me something?

Shvarc:
Remain the same person as you were before you came in here. There is
such a saying that I agree with, - the most important for a man is to
save his soul and not the flesh. My flesh had already lost its worth.
Believe me, a human’s flesh is a rotting product and has no
worth on the earth. They think I’ll sell them my soul.

One
of them had talk with me and told me, they would give me back my head
and my life would come back to me. I don’t need life received
as a gift from them. A tempted soul burns in the hellish fire. I know
it very well I don’t want to become one of their subordinate.

Thomas:
Thank you for your advice, I have to leave you now. If I have a
chance I’ll go to see you again. I hope you won’t be here
any more and there will be really some help to you.

Thomas
went out into the main room where Rushe was waiting for him.Rushe:
You should come with me, I’m going to somewhere and you should
accompany me.

Thomas
followed Rush speechlessly. They went into the first room. There was
empty space like a desert instead of a room behind the door, where
the sky and ground both had the same rusty color. There was a dim
light very far away. Rushe closed the door and addressed Thomas.Rushe:
Why did you leave the third room so quickly? You can see very
interesting things there you can travel through the history. If you
noticed, there are a lot of objects. If you hold them into your hand
you’ll see what their owners used to see.As bigger the chest is from which
you`ll take out an object as far you`ll be thrown back in time.

Thomas:
I really left the room quickly. I’d like to look through
everything quickly, because I had no spare time.

Rushe:
I know one thing exactly, there is no time here. When you are here
you can’t feel existence of day or night. I’ve been here
for three centuries and I haven’t felt tiredness. While you are
with us, don’t think about it. Now we have to go, so get ready.

As
Rushe finished these words they went through strange, dark-yellow
space for a second and found themselves on a street, where a lot of
people were walking hither and thither like ants. Thomas realized
that he was in another country and environment was quite strange to
him.Thomas:
Where are we?

Rushe:
Don’t be surprised, we are in a foreign country for you. And
don’t be surprised that you’ll be able to speak all
languages of the countries you’ll visit.

Thomas:
What was that we went through yellow space for a second?Rushe:
We went through the flame of hell and you’ll gain great
strength every time during such travel. As more times you have to go
through the flame of hell as more you feel the substance of our
existence. After that you’ll decide what to do.

Thomas:
Shall I become like you?

Rushe:
Only passing through the flame isn’t enough to become like us.
Perhaps you won’t need hard work. Ok, let’s stop talking
about it now and get down to business. Can you see thetwo-storied house on the opposite
side of the street?

Our
servants worked badly there and we have to correct their mistake.Thomas
and Rushe went into the entrance of the house. Rushe took out a key
from his pocket and opened one of the doors on the same floor. They
went in, but Thomas got back suddenly, because he stepped into a pool
of blood and flinched.

Thomas;
Excuse me, Rushe but I can’t come in here.

Rushe
nodded and closed the door before him.

Thomas
went out from the house and went to the opposite side of the street.
He understood in which country he was. He was too far from his
homeland and he was standing stiff in astonishment. After a while
Rushe appeared.

Rushe:
I can say for certainty that Patron won’t like your behavior.
How will you explain this decision?

Thomas:
Every time I feel sick when I see blood. I’ve had it from
childhood and that’s all, nothing more.

Rushe
had such an expression on his face as if he believed, he gave no sign
and he gestured to Thomas that they were going back and suddenly they
found themselves in the first room.

Rushe:
I’ll leave you for a while you can do what you like.Thomas:
May I enter the rooms?

Rushe:
Yes, it`ll help you to gain more confidence and strength.Thomas
noddedin
agreement, opened the third room and entered. He started to open
rather bigger chests. He
opened eleven chests, but he bent over the tenth chest only and took
out a long sword. It seemed to him that he was on horseback in an
unknown street and he cut people’s heads with this sword. He
put back this object into the chest quickly and took out a thick rope
that looked like a belt.It
appeared before his eyes, how he was standing on a hill and holding a
burning torch. In front of him was a small town spreadthat was in flames. He heard a roar
of racked people by pain. He saw how silhouettes in flames howwere running hither and thither.
Thomas put back the belt and stayed shocked for several seconds. But
it all was interesting for him and he felt how this game drew him.

Then,
from the nearest chestThomas took out a beautifully
jeweled red mask and put it onhis face. Imagination was tuned on
again. He saw how he was pouring secretly white powder into the glass
full of wine.In
front of him appeared a hall of the palacewhere as it seemed the carnival was
hold. He saw how he gave this glass to a nobleman. Then
he took the next object into his hand. It was a cloak and he imagined
how he went to a square where he put on an executioner’s cloak.
He cut down a head of a man tiedup to a stump with a big ax. People
were taken up again and again and he was cuttingdown their heads.

Thomas
put the cloak back and closed the chest.

There
was no doubt–in this room everything used to
happen deliberatelythat depravity could get inhis soul. The main thing for him was
to drag time. He thought about it when he noticed a bigger chest not
far away from him. He came to it, opened and bent over it, he saw a
small casket inside. He took the casket into his hand but started no
imagination. Then he opened it, there were silver coins of different
size. Thomas took one of the coins and imagination started again.

He
saw how an owner of silver coins, in whose body Thomas was turned
into, was taking a tight-filled purse from a man. Then he went along
a narrow path, went out on a street where there were low houses as if
were built by mud. He was counting silver coins greedily on his way.
He went up a small hill at the end of the street and entered a long
hut built by mud. Inside, there was a table laid on the ground and
there people were sitting around it.
He went and took one of the free
seats. He couldn’t look into a man’s eyes sitting at the
head of the table and he was looking around shyly. There thepeople werecarefullylistening to the man sitting at the
head. Thomas wanted to look at the speaker but he couldn’t,
because the owner of the silver coins was bending his head. The
speaker told the owner of the silver coins: “It’s time
for you to finish thebusiness that you started.”
The owner of the silver coins glanced at the speaker, at that time,
Thomas with coins in his hand, standing somewhere in the room, felt
such warmth in his whole body that he dropped out the coin of his
hand from happiness. Thomas bent over quickly and picked up thecoin, but he couldn’t see the
speaker. He saw how he was going back on the same way where he took
the tight-filled purse. There he met people armed with cudgels and
swords. Thomas told them to follow him to show the way. They went to
the long house built by mud, fromwhere a man in whites came out. The
owner of the coins came to him and kissed him. As if warm flame went
through Thomas` body he could hardly contain himself not to fall down
onto the floor. Then he saw how people armed with cudgels and swords
rushed and seized the man in whites.

Thomas
saw how someone with a sword in his hand fell down on his knees and
who had his whole face in blood and he was roaring from pain. It
turned out that one of the men sitting at table cut him an ear. Then
the man in whites freed himself from guards and came to him, he
touched the wound and the ear got whole.

After
it there was a
commotion was broken out, but Thomas
saw the owner of the coins going back quickly on the same way.

He
was taken into a big chamber where an elderly man met him. He dropped
the coins to his feet and told him desperately – ‘I
return the price of blood I made a mistake to betray the
righteous blood.’

The
elderly man said- ‘It’s your blood and none of my
business.’

After
that he madly rushed
out and ran somewhere, repeating
one and the same phrase “I
betrayed him,” “I betrayed him,” and he didn’t
stop until someone called him from
behind. This was the very man who
was cut his ear down recently.

He
approached him and said: - ‘I came with a sword in my hand to
seize him and he made
my ear whole again and you were one of them but you still betrayed
him, why did you do it?’ Thomas
saw how the man put a
small sword to the
throat of the owner of the coins –
‘I, a slave of the unrighteous could send you to the sinners’
town, but all who take a sword will perish from a sword.’ The
owner of silver coins didn’t let him speak and ran away. The
man shouted at the runner’s back ‘Life begins after his
death.’

Thomas
saw how the owner of silver coins was running on the way till he ran
across somebody. Thomas recognized that somebody. It was red-haired,
familiar to him Eshman Loz.

Loz
was holding a rope in his hand that he gave the owner of coins so as
if he was a cashier at the box office of a theater and he sold a
ticket to one of the
audience who was late.

The
owner of silver coins threw that
rope over the tree standing
on the other side of the road and
made a loop, then he climbed up
the tree a bit, he tightened a noose
around his neck with one
hand and jumped down. Suddenly the coin was dropped from Thomas’
hand and it rolled somewhere in
the depth the room.

He
closed the chest and went out into the main room. Rushe was waiting
for him there.

Rushe:
As I see you liked that room so much. You’ve been inside for
several hours. We have good news for you. Patron decided not to make
use of you in any business,of course,
unless you won`t like to do it yourself.Loz, you and I are
going toa
far-away country.
You have to accompany us, because that’s the order.

Thomas
nodded in agreement, looked at Loz, but he didn’t pay attention
to his unexpected appearance and
speechlessly followed them to the
front room.

Thomas
didn’t think consciously about whathad recently
happened to him in the
room of chests, because it was
possible for them to read his thoughts. Thomas was able to hide his
feelings and thoughts.

As
they entered the room Loz snapped his fingers like
a magician and in a second they found themselves at the seashore. It
was a perfectly
beautiful place – the greenish
sea and big palm trees. The sun was
shining and hot sand was crunching under feet. There was a two-storey
house not far from that place and they went towards it.

Loz
laughedloudly
too, then he opened the door invited
Rushe and Thomas in. There were a lot of strangers going hither and
thither. They went through a hall and went up to the first floor. A
beautiful woman
met them in the corridor.
She led them into one of the rooms
and asked them to sit
down in three armchairs near there. It was the same woman
who invited Thomasinto the house
on Revilo Street.

Thomas
noticed that he was wearing a strange cloak.

Rushe
noticed his specialattention towards
woman and whispered in Thomas’s
ear: ‘Don’t deal with her otherwise you come to a bad
end.’

Then
the womanbent
towards Los who was sitting in the armchair a bit far away from them
and she whispered something in his ear, then she left the room.

Thomas:
Rushe, why do I have to keep away from this madam? I was just
fascinated by her beauty. I couldn’t notice her shine at our
first meeting.

Rushe:
She is a countess of the nether world. We respect her greatly.

Loz:
What are you talking about?

Rushe:
About countess. Our companion is fascinated by her.

Loz:
Did you tell him who our countess is?

Rushe:
I only told him her name and title.

Loz:
Among ladies she is that one with whom patron has relations everyday.

Thomas:
How can one find Mr. Luci’s favor?

Loz:
There are several factors, obedience and selfless service to our job.
That is all in your case. As for the countess besides these two
factors she has other services too. She
has deformed more than six hundred
people. Someone can argue and tell me thatthere have been at least hundred
people known in history with the same accusation. Thomas:
Yes there have been and saying their nameswill take us too far.

Loz:
Don’t bother yourself with it. I know who you can name. A lot
of people left their trace in history, but those people gave orders
in most cases and only took part under certain conditions. And the
most important thing for us is to rule the human’s soul first
and then let him do what he wishes.Stupid
people tended to other ambition that made them act. They tried to
occupy the earth. It doesn’t attract us at all, on the
contrary, instead of souls they destroyed flesh and in that way they
set free souls of the dead.The
countess perverted their souls first and then she had a bath of their
blood. She shed theirskin and sewed cloaks for her
herself.

Thomas:
You are right, for human’s soul death is freedom that is given
by a murderer.

Rushe:
It depends where a soul wishes to get and what it deserves. Some like
heat others enjoy cool breeze.

Loz:
What do you like?

Thomas:
I prefer that place where I feel myself well. Everything is good
little by little.

Rushe:
A man isn’t satisfied with little, he wants more and more.

Loz:
It’s very difficult to subordinate a man.

Rushe:
They don’t know what submission is, some people do such things
that are incredible even for me.

Loz:
You joined us a bit late, my Rushe that’s why you are
surprised. The majority of people tend to us. I’ve met such
strong souls which deserved to have my great admiration for them as
they behavedin
a handyway
without my help and they used to urge me to act more. There are such
types of
people who believe neither black
nor white power kind power. They
think that they can govern everything and they are the only ones in
the world.

Rushe:
Such people are assured to be tanned in hell.

Loz:
Switch/ turn your imagination and a littlefantasy on. Can you imagine what
I’ve been a witness of? Though I don’t think you can
imagine, because I’m myself sometimes astonished.

Rushe:
One of the serial murderers told me – ‘When I kill I
imagine myself as almighty.’ - Can you imagine what nonsense
they blurt?!Thomas
listened to them in astonishment. He thought himself to attend a
lecture in hell. There was a sudden knock at the door.

Loz:
Come in Eak we have been waiting for you for a long time.

As
a stranger came in he looked Thomas up and down.

Loz:
You can speak about this business.

Eak:
Pakaro killed our servant accidentally. There was some
misunderstanding.

Loz:
What kind of misunderstanding are you talking about? Tell me I have
to know everything.

Eak:
Our servant Pakaro behaved like a carnal one. I don’t know how
it happened... He killed our subordinate, who was an organ-grinder in
one of cathedrals. He doesn’t talk about causes and that’s
why I ask you to find out matter of fact. He won’t dare to
conceal the cause of murder from you.

Loz:
OK go and bring him here.

Eak
nodded in agreement and went out of the room.There
was silence for few minutes. After a whilethere was a knock at the door again
and Eak came in with a stranger following him. It was possibly
Pakaro.

Loz:
Eak you are free and can go.

Eak
turned round slowly looking at Thomas. Loz noticed his special
attention towards Thomas and looked at Thomas who in his turn was
looking at Eak.

Pakaro
wanted to sit down but he read disgust in Loz’s look and
changed his mind.

Loz:
Tell us what`s the matter and don’t youdare lie!

Pakaro:
I considered it necessary to destroy him because he couldn’t
carry out my order.

Loz:
What order didn’t he carry out? Relate.

Pakaro:
It is no matter. It is very personal.

Loz:
You have no right to treat our servants as ordinary people. You,
cork-headed don`t you know it?

Pikaro’s
face screwed up with fear, he didn’t utter a word and was
standing like a dried-up tree.

Loz:
Time of making an inventory is coming up and nobody has the right to
behave so! But you probably lost the ability to feel it.

Rushe:
If you remember he has made a mistake for the second time and I don’t
think that hecouldn`t realize what he does, he
uses his power improperly. He thinks he will be forgiven and that’s
why he behaves impertinently.

While
Rushe was talking the countess came in without warning. She knew the
point of this story.

The
countess: He didn’t realize what he was doing, that’s why
he deserves our anger.

Loz:
Pakaro you know what punishment you deserve, therefore leave this
place immediately.

Pakaro
puffed himself up a
turkey and left the room so quietly
as if a shadow went through the door.

The
countess: This stupid one couldn’t calculate how to use his
power and left doubts tothe localresidents there. He threw the poor
musician onto the fence of cathedral with such strength as if it was
a cannonball shotfrom cannon. At first they couldn’t
identify the deceased, because his face was pressed against the wall
like a frog.

Rushe:
He might prevent him in some important affair and that’s why he
acted so furiously.

The
countess: Yes, it was so. He charged him with the job of seducing a
girl who often went to church.

Rushe:
Did he achieve any success?

The
countess: The organ-grinder could fulfill this assignment but he
didn’t.

Rushe:
Why didn’t he do it?

The
countess: Because this little girl was his friend’s daughter.

Rushe:
It seams thatPakaro made a right decision and
what do we punish him for?

Loz:
As to the organ-grinder he got what he deserved. But Pakaro knew that
he would be punished and despite
that he behaved so, as he considered
it necessary and therefore he will get what he deserves.

Thomas:
You have an interesting approach to the matter.

Loz:
I knew this story. In spite of it I didn’t change further
development of
events, because he would do
something like it. The musician got from Pakaro what he had to get,
and Pakaro did from me. I think everything has been distributed well.

Rushe:
If we made another decision it would be our mistake.

Despite
Rushe didn’t like this decision he didn’t show
dissatisfaction he was only looking around pointlessly.

After
that the countess signed Rushe with a hand to leave the room.

Loz:
Despitethat
Rushe didn’t like what happened here we have no right to change
the decision. Thomas, what will you say? What decision would you
make?

Thomas:
I agree with you if something doesn’t work it’d be better
to throw it away in the garbage and buy a new one. Loz:
It seems you are venturesome. Do you like to be with us?

Thomas:
To tell the truth, it’s impressive and interesting what’s
happening, but I can’t say with confidence whether I like it or
not and I am not afraid to tell you it, because I tell the truth. And
the truth teller is protected by the truth.

Loz:
You are gifted and have strong spirit soit will be pity if you leave us.
People sometimes exchange the truth for self-seeking therefore such
truth doesn’t have the future. I appreciate your frankness and
that`s why I try to be frank, too.

Thomas:
If there isn’t the truth the earth will remove from the place
and fall into infinity.

Loz:
Don’t worry it won’t fall deeply. You don’t know a
lot about people. In most cases they can’t make a right
decision, because they don’t have a talent.

Thomas:
When I was a child an interesting thing happened to me. If you have
time I’ll relate you.

Los:
We have so much time that you can speak till you get tired.

Thomas:
Ten years ago my parents sent me to the country to my relatives for a
while. I had nothing to do there and went for a walk all the time.
One day I got tired and lay down on the grass. The sky was covered
with clouds suddenly as if a curtain was drew at one place the clouds
were dispersed and steps were formed of it. In a few seconds a
silhouette of a middle-aged man appeared who sat down on the step. He
was in whites and had a nice mustache and beard. He looked at me and
I felt warmth in my whole body after what I fell asleep
unconsciously.

Loz:
Youwere
a little boy and did you get toofrightened?

Thomas:
No, I was not frightened. I haven’t related this story to
anybody except you till now. After that strange stories started, when
I was alone in dark some things seemed to me and I had such a feeling
as if someone watched me all the time. Once I was on my way home from
my uncle’s palace. It was night and there were afew people on the street. It seemed
to me that some people were pursuing me and giggling in a child’s
voice. I heard some voices like a whisper on an unknown language for
me in my ear. I haven’t known till now what it was. As if they
tried to frighten me.

Loz:
I hope you weren’t frightened.

Thomas:
It’s strange but I wasn’t frightened, it was just
unpleasant. That’s why I tried not to stay alone. Recently,
just afew
days ago the same thing happened to me, it was night and I was on my
way home again. Could you tell me what all that mean?

Loz:
You saw that one who you want to see. I won’t deceive you and
I’ll tell you that you might see him himself.Thomas:
Who do you mean?

Loz:
I mean the Lord of Heaven. But are you sure that this vision was in
connection with you?

Thomas:
I am a man and as all mortals I look at the sky and expect something.
As if his look granted me magical force, what I took in my hands I
could do everything easily.

Loz:
Perhaps you are right and all this means something. It is a
disputable issue. I advice you don’t let feelings too much
freedom. As to those shadows disturbing you they might be ghosts and
wanted just to frighten you but nothing more.

Thomas:
They made me very frightened then. Why do all others beware of you?

Loz:
I am one of the first who joined patron, when he was alone. I
preferred staying in fire to being a citizen of heaven till our time
comes. Our goal is to become members of that great city that
everybody dreams about. But the head-ruler
of this city must be Luci. Established rules and everything will stay
the same to get there as nobody is going to change them.

Thomas:
Why did your master forsake him?

Loz:
The patron was the best one among his servants. He saw how my patron
was becoming much stronger therefore he threw him into the darkest
abyss of hell.

Thomas:
But he is the supreme, perfect kindness.

Los:
It’s a war for survival, we were found on the otherside, that’s all. It’s
true that he has created everything that exists. Kindness and evil is
confrontation of/between equally strong forces. Do you think these
two words differ from each other? They are two events. For some
people kindness is evil for others it’s opposite. Does anybody
count the number of them?

Thomas:
Difference is in their action.

Loz:
What do you call kindness when something is done for
self-seeking? Self-seeking is evil.
I’ll relate you a real story. When I visit different countries
I’d like to be where people gather. One of such places is a
city garden. One day I was sitting on the bench and in some distance,
on the opposite side of me an old man was sitting and humming a song.
Suddenly someone approachedhim from behind, passed him by and
stabbed in the backso skillfully that even I could
hardly noticed it. The dying old man said thelast words hardly –,, All my
life I haven’t done good or bad for anybody and why did I get a
knife in the back?I
discovered the identity of him. He was really a harmless man neither
hurt anybody nor did kind for them, in short he was an old selfish
man. Such people are more dangerous than others. That killer killed
another old man by mistake. He was ordered to kill another. There are
a lot of such cases on the earth. There are more things happening by
accident than deliberately. But you have to know that we didn`t had a
handin
these this affair.

Thomas:
How can the old man’s phrase “I haven’t done any
good for anybody” be explained?

Loz:
In percentage respect kindness happened more often on the earth
that’s why he said it.

Thomas:
It seems to be vice-versa.

Loz:
If you look attentively everything has its easy explanation. When a
man was created kindness and evil were instantly created. These
features can’t exist without each other. They are as twin
brothers have different names but they have a general father.

Thomas
wanted to say something opposite but he refrained.

Loz:
My words made you sad. Don’t you have anything to say?

Thomas:
I think an action has to get the end, therefore as fair a direction
is as better its result can be.

Loz:
Your confidence and persistenceshould be appreciated. Despite that
I don’t award a status of the truth to you.

Loz
stood up, went to the window and gazed at something. In few seconds
the door opened and Rushe came in, who was in a black raincoat.

Rushe:
Mr. Loz we need your help.

Loz:
There is no need of your departure. Moreover, this matter no longer
needs ourinterference. Bonza and Balvay will
settle this problem. Believe me they will do such harm forthem that they’ll dream about
hell. A more interesting journey is expecting us. It’s a long
time an interesting person has been asking us to meet him and I think
it’s time to talk with him.

Rushe,
we should say goodbye to you, because Mr. Thomas and I will consider
this case without you. It’s time for us to go. Are you ready?

Thomas
nodded him in agreement and suddenly they found themselves in
someone’s bedroom. There was a bed in the middle of the room
and someone was sleeping in it.

Loz:
His name’s Kadmus and he is the governor’s son of this
country. He has been asking of help from us forseveral months. Let’s wait for
him for a while. When he wakes up we’ll ask him what he wants
from us. As soon as we finish our business here we have to visit a
place by all means where our servants live.

Thomas:
Where is this place?

Loz:
It isn’t too far.

Thomas:
It’s clear. How long do we have to wait for this man?

Loz:
Wait’s enough. It’s time to wake up our host.

As
Loz finished these words a lying man raised himself slowly from the
bed, took a seat and wide opened his eyes in astonishment. He was
staring at Thomas and Loz, because he couldn’t understand what
was going on.

Loz:
Kadmus, do you meet your invited gusts in such a way?

Kadmus:
Who are you? How did you dare to enter here?

Loz:
Don’t shout, we are here by you request.

Kadmus:
Who are you? What are you blurting out? I don’t know you.

Loz:
Think over what you are talking, every word is of great importance
and that’s why being careful before you say them. I repeat we
are here by your request! You have a chance to talk to us and we are
all ears. What do you want?

Kadmus
realized after all that he was in danger and changed his voice
timber.

Kadmus:
I am sorry gentlemen, but I couldn’t recognize you... Is that
reallyyou?
I could never imagine that my request would come true.

Loz:
We are listening to you. We are just here to help you.

Kadmus:
Yes, I need your help. My father treated me unfairly. He left my
younger brother the most of property in his will. When I think about
it I feel smothered with bitterness.

Loz:
I advise you how to act and if you follow everything that I charge
you will success by all means. Don’t hurry up and be gradual,
always say words carefully, otherwise you won’t get proper
results. Tell your brother that your father has a secret and don’t
disclose what secret it is to him for two weeks. After that, when
this time passes tell him that your father has an illegitimate son
for whom he has hidden enormous fortune and in comparison with him he
left you a red cent.

Kadmus:
If he doesn’t believe me, what shall I do then?

Loz:
Behave as I tell you and I’ll take care of the rest. Don’t
ask me unnecessary questions. Go and start to carry out my words. If
you don’t mind we’ll stay for a while and then we’ll
goto
our own way. Don’t worry about the rest.

Kadmus
nodded Loz in agreement and left the room.

Loz:
Can you see what people worry about? This man deceived us concerning
the division of property. He just wants the whole fortune to be left
for him and nothing for his brother. I helped him to fulfill his
desire, because he wants so and then I’ll add his soul to our
union. Are you ready to leave for where we are expected
today?

Thomas
wasn`t able to answer the question
because of instantly they found themselves in a thick forest where a
lot of creatures were going hither and thither. Some were sitting on
the trees and arguing about something.When
they saw Loz they stopped at once. Then Loz signed one of them with a
hand to come to him.

Loz:
Tell me Skila what are these stupid ones making anoise about?

Skila:
They are making anoise all the time, I
my soul is bothered with them.They filled my ears with this a
meaningless chat.
They stop only then when they see you.

Loz:
Do you have something to tell me?

Skila:
We’ve been in a bit difficulty recently, because resistance is
getting stronger.

Loz:
To overcome stronger
resistance is possible by
he strongest one. That’s why
don’t you dare lament,
I won’t forgive you for
it. I demand selfless/ devoting
service from you. Now, if you don’t mind, call Mino, it seems
he has something to relate me and I’ve come here to listen to
everybody.

Skila
signed someone with a hand to come near
and he stepped aside.

Loz:
I’m listening to you Mino, what do you have to say?

Mino:
I looked through a list and choseone of
the souls, he is a man of faith and that’s why I locked him in
a basement. I have given him neither food nor drink for a week.

Loz:
Do you think something will come out of hunger?

Mino:
I’m sure when I comeand see him
his soul would be
already broken like a crystal vase.

Loz:
He has been able to stand hunger
for a week and you couldn’t
persuade him, now you can’t get anything, now
his flesh has no worth and his soul knows it. You made a main mistake
just here. You have to break a soul first if you manage to do it
you would get a result by all means.

Loz
signed Mino with eyes to get away and at the same time signed someone
with a hand
to come to him.

Loz:Eteo, now
it’s your time, I’m listening to you.

Eteo:
I presented myself dressed
in a monk’s clothes and habit
to a godly and poor man. I predicted him wealth and glory and even
I partly fulfilled what I promised him. After
that he completely forgot his past.

Loz:
At first sight
your work is OK, but one day he can lose this wealth wholly
or have no wish to collaborate
moreand
in this case what will you do? You have to make him commit
such a thing that will dim
over his soul. Know that I’ll
surelyask you about the end of this story.
Now you come who is staring at me. What do you have to say?

Asmo:
I have nothing to boast, because I haven’t completed work yet.

Loz:
I think it’s interesting to listen for
a started work as well, relate me.

Asmo:
I dropped envy
between two fool sisters because of a man. They
sometimes drive each other to such things, that even I am surprised
at such cruelty from people. The most interesting will be when their
mother learns about it because that man is her husband.

Loz:
If events develop in such a cruel way it will be very funny and I’ll
like it. Now, let’s listen to Skila, because I feel he has
something interesting to tell us. And so, move up over here and
relate us.

Skila:
I work on one of the public officials,
but you’ll get surprised
that I couldn’t find anything
to snatch at yet.

Loz:
Remember one thing that it is not worth to waste time on ordinary or
undistinguished souls except
of special cases. There is plenty
of work to do, so you have to act
fast.

Skila:
It’s quite right. I`ve
told you a lot of times, it isn’t worth to waste time on
doubtful business. But Isme got results as he created people’s
collection. It’d better to
listen to him.

Skila
signed someone with a hand to begin talking.

Isme:
I made acquaintance
ofa
person who is very talented. He is one of the strongest financiers
and at the same time he is veryrich. We set up an organization,
that finances a great number of other projects and due to it I’m
planning to do necessary
affairs for me.

Loz:
This business seems
to be interesting and I think it’ll
have a good
continuation as I
have the similar servant too. He
finances some people all the time as if he suffers
from philanthropy. Sometimes, even I
believe in his charity
deeds. Before I say goodbye to you
I’d like to listen to Labda. Maybe
he has something interesting to tell me.

Labda:
I’ll tell you right now. I’ve chosen an
unusually nice townas I
like to work in nice
cities. There lives a fortune-teller
in this town whom
I support in treatment of
people. A
lot of people are standing in line for her and I’m going to
enroll these people in our long list.

Loz:
Good luck to
everybody. Now we have to say goodbye, because we are busy too.
Remember that patron
is well informed about everything.
Sooner or later, he’ll learn everything and that’s why
behave yourselves.

Loz
and Thomas said goodbye to everyone
being there and started in slow
steps to the forest exit.

Loz:
Have you noticed they are like small children? These stupid souls
can’t stand without instructions. I knew about Isme’s
story before and I am
award of it as well. What do you
think about it?

Thomas:
Yes, but their money is used for goodness as well, isn’t it?

Loz:
The main thing is a result and what money is used for it’s a
question of minor importance. Are you ready for next travel?

Thomas:
Yes, why not?

Loz:
Before we pay a visit we have to come
around to one place.

Loz
looked at Thomas, then stretched out his hand to ground and turned
around his arm.
As a result Thomas’s eyes burnt violently and he felt such a
pain as if a bitter pepper was put into his eyes. When the pain
relieved Thomas saw a
huge iron gate where skeletons,
chains and people being in flames were expressed there. There was
such heat from the depth of the gate that Thomasfelt burning
throughout body.

Loz
opened the gate with his hand and they
came in. As they
enteredscorching shackles
were put on Thomas’
hands and feet. He felt a pain
caused from burning but there was no sing on his body.

Loz:
You have to bear that
for a while. As you get out from
here everything will relieve. We have to get into the depth of hell
and it’s impossible in a different
way.

There
was complete darkness and it was so hot that Thomas could hardly
breathe. There were frightening
voices and whimper heard from
somewhere. Someone appeared in the depth and approached them. He
signed with a hand to follow him. They headed to the tunnel deep in
the ground, where there was very dark.

Loz:
Thomas I know that you can’t see but try to follow me. I know
the way very well and we’ll get the place.

This
tunnel had a lot of caves, from where faint cry and clench of teeth
were heard.

After
ten minutes walk they entered one of the caves. There was a cave like
a room in the depth of ground. There a lamp on hanging chain was
lightened. Some faceless creatures
were standing over a sitting man. As they saw Loz they stepped aside
immediately.

Thomas
could see a man tied in chains, who was a bag of bones. As if ravens
had scratched his body. Here and there the skin was scraped out
and the flesh was seen.

Loz:
Tipo, tell me, couldn`tyou break him down?

Tipo:
He got so exhausted that he can’t speak. It seems the soul’s
already left him. At last what he managed was he wrote that
he had no flesh, the soul had left him and nothing would come out
for us

Loz:
Everything is clear you have to admit you’ve lost this battle.
Lock the entrance and left him alone with his flesh.

After
that Loz and Thomas went towards the gate
back on the same way. They were
about in a few steps
near the entrance when Thomas felt a
sense of relief on
his arms and legs. As soon as he was
out the chains as appeared so disappeared.

Thomas:
It seems very
hard for people to be here.

Loz:
You saw how the man was feeling in the cave. Of course, it’s
hard for him.

Thomas:
He has a strong spirit.

Loz:
That he can bear pain it doesn’t mean he has a strong spirit.
They made a mistake in this
case. One of the demons
went too far as he
wanted to reach
successquickly. He destroyed the flesh and
gave freedom to soul. It’s impossible to get results
from such souls by high speed.

Thomas:
Where will his soul go
after death?

Loz:
I don’t know, I can’t say it exactly.

Loz
was busy with the conversation. They were out of the forest for a
long time and there was an endless, dark space spread before them now.Loz:
I’ll relate you a story that happened to me personally and
you’ll see the difference between other businesses. Some
centuries ago I was visiting my favorite citywhen a good scenario came to my
mind. I chose twelve people for it and offered a competition to them
and a winner would get a lot of money. I had a talk singly with
each of them and I promised every of them to support only him in
gaining the victory.

I
called this game “Price of Life”, a winner would become
the richest man by the state of that time.
Rules were very simple and their simplicity
lies being no rules. They had no
restrictionand
had complete freedom in actionand imagination.

Then
I locked them in the basement of my servant’s palace of their
own freewill
and gave them only water.
I had all conditions of the game agreed with them.
They began rivaling against each other from the first day. On the
third day six men arranged with each other and theothers were single-handed. These six
negotiated to keep watch because those others not to commit something
against them. They knew from the very beginning that they got hungry
and one of them could become food, that’s why all of them were
careful.

On
the fifth day these six decided to kill two men and use them as food.
They waited until others went asleep, then they smothered two men and
started to worked them up.

The
other four were woken up by this noise and they couldn’t utter
a word for fear. This food was enough for these six conspirators for
two days. During these two days other four men spiritually weregetting strong. They saw their
cruelty and seized by fear when food was over their turn would come
as well. On the seventh day they even didn’t wait till those
six conspirators came to their senses and attacked them in order to
save themselves.

Imagine
four hungry and six well-fed men. How do you think who wonthis fight?

Thomas:
I don’t know, it seems to be a high probability of winning the
four ones. I think hungry ones had more chance. Those six were
fleshly fed up and spiritually weak accordingly.

Loz:
Well done Thomas, you think in a right way. Thus the hungryovercame the fed up ones. They won
andgotsix slices of flesh after this
hunting. Food was enough only for three days. Then it got
stunk and was no more edible. It was
the fourteenth day when two of four, relatively strong ones, decided
to get a rid of theother two and they finished the
others off in the same way. Thus, there were the two strongest onesleft face to face.

Thomas:
I think both were worth giving the first place of honor.

Loz:
Yes, I thought the same, but they flatly refused. At dawn of the
nineteenth day they fell upon each other and after a long fight and
struggle none of them could win. They tired made an agreement not to
fight any more and who would fall asleep first he would die
respectively. They satface to face and stared at each
other for two days and nights. On the twenty-first day they both fell
asleep at the same time.

Thomas:
Did you get them both win still?

Loz:
No, their struggle was settled simply. That one, who woke the first
he finished the other off. Thus I bred the first man-wolf. I gave the
winner everything that I promised and let him go but of course for a
while.

Thomas:
It’s clear there is an animal in every man. This matter showed
me once more that man’s blood has a taste of steel.

Loz:
You are an attentive soul you felt the point of everything exactly.
You know, you are an interesting man and I want you to accompany me
to a place where I`m going. I visited this family sometime ago and
still I’m expected gladly there. They live in the provinces and
have a very nice house. I sometimes go on vacation therein order to relax and give my soul peace.
For information I’ll tell you that I introduced myself to them
as a vet and I gave them even a consultation about some horned
cattle. Are you ready to go and continue our performance?

As
Loz finished his words they flashed through the yellow space again
and found themselves in the yard of a very nice house. Loz approached
the door and knocked. An old woman opened the door and greeted Loz
with great respect. The
old woman was called Greta and it seemed she worked as a maid in this
house. She led the guests to the library and went to warn her master.

Loz:
They have no idea who they deal with therefore so I’ll
introduce you to them as my colleague.

After
a while the door of library opened and a tall man with a nice beard
and a mustache came in.

Loz:
Ers, my dear friend, how are you? I haven’t seen you for
centuries.

Ers:
Talent is like a jug, if you don’t pour water into it its worth
is zero. I’d like to say that without work talent is useless.
Don’t be offended young man I don’t know you and of
course I don’t mean you. I don’t know what plans you have
but you can stay with me as long as you wish.

Loz:
Thank you, we’ll avail ourselves of your proposal.

Ers:
Excuse me I’ll leave you for a while. Meanwhile I’ll
order to prepare rooms for you and join you soon. We are having a
party today and I have to give instructions as well.

The
host left the library with a smile on his face. It was obvious that
he was very glad to see them.

Loz:
This man attracts me very much and I enjoy communicating with him. We
need wise souls but of course fighting on our side. As my patron
sometimes mentions if you don’t keep up a good fire you won`t
warm yourself by only hot coals.

There
was a knock at the door and an old servant came in, who asked them to
follow him to show rooms for them. They quietly followed the servant,
saw the rooms and came back to the library. Mr. Ers followed themin step.

Ers:
Today I am expecting guests for the evening and let’s have a
good time. I’m very glad that you visited me.

Loz:
Yes, we like to be here as well, what will you say Thomas?

Thomas:
Yes, we do really have a pleasant host.

Ers:
Mr. Loz your young colleague speaks very little he is either shy or
timid.

Thomas:
No, I am neither shy nor timid. It’s more useful for me to
listen to you. A man`s head is like a chest what he has put in it he
takes it out back in case of need.

Ers:
That’s the right reasoning, but sometimes it’s necessary
to prove yourself in the conversation. Even that you have said it
points to your education.

Loz:
He isn`t accustomed making a pun he is more attracted by a thirst for
knowledge.

Ers:
When I was a bloke I too used to think like him. I learnt some fields
of knowledge throughout years. I have a good command of five
languages as my native. I used to avoidentertaining and I tried to dedicate
myself to books. Youth passed by so quickly that when I looked back I
was too far away. Damned years little by little entrusted me with
idle talk.

Loz:
With passing of years the time of death approaches and this is the
cruelest thing in this life.

Ers:
I don’t agree with you Mr. Loz. Time itself is life it’s
a big book that you turn over little by little till it’s over.

Loz:
But with one difference, the book is in the hands of you so you can
turn over at the last page and learn what the end of the story is.
Time, life and death, these three events are a man’s essential
parts and therefore existence is interesting.

Ers:
Death is evil, thinking of it strikes
fear into a man`s heart, but he
lives with hope that it isn’t his time yet.

Thomas:
Fear and hope are pernicious for a man andsalvation is only in
sagacity.

Loz:
The most of people are cowards they just try to play heroes. A man is
a wonderful creature he is the only being on the earth that kills
without any reason. As a man was born all these events were createdwhich we are talking about, we can
say that everything is His creation.

Ers:
A man, who leads a depraved life, has a sense of fear towards
everything. That’s why God threw a man deep in thoughts for his
sins. It isn’t allowed for a man to be ungrateful towards
everything.

Loz:
A man is ungrateful by nature and at the same time he has an
insatiableappetite.

Ers:
We forget that we are also human beings and we have a lot of faults
as well. To live inluxury must not be a goal. It’s
the essential rule, that a man always forgets and vital agitation
sucks him in. Such action harms his soul.

Thomas:
A bog ofsins
that sucks you in.

Ers:
Yes, it sucks as a bog and it’s almost impossible to get rid of
it, of course, unless someone stretched youout a branch of a tree. Loz:
There is no point. Such people always get into the bog. No matter how
many times you save them they still don’t come to their senses.

Ers:
I have made a lot of people come back from the depraved way and put
them on the righteous way. It’s worth only for them who can
save themselves. I hope there will be a high percentage of those
who’ll be saved.

Loz:
I don’t think those, who you’ve helped, will give you the
same help. Have not you heard a famous saying – who I blessed
that cursed me.

Ers:
My sir, a lot of things happened to me and that’s why I act so.
Actually, a man has his own distinctive point of view concerning one
or another question. A man shouldn’t do good in order to be
seen or loaded with thanks by someone. Somebody justhas to do the good. It is me in this
case and there are others in other cases and so on. Goodness brings
us closer to paradise.

Loz:
Hell is closer than paradise. So, many people go straight there by
mistake.

Ers:
I don’t know, I suppose if a man deserves to get to paradise
he’ll get there by all means, if he intends to go to hell,
nobody will prevent him. Do you know what I think? When a man goes to
hell his soul stays with his flesh as the underworld is on the earth
and it can’t be otherwise.

Loz:
You speak so as if you’ve been there.

Ers:
Paradise is in the light, hell isin the dark. There is complete
darkness fallen, where a soul doesn’t have spiritual food and
can’t escape from there. A soul has everything in paradise,
because a soul is free there.

Loz:
Light is invented to illuminate darkness, but it costs too much. I
tell you in literal sense of word that darkness is free of charge.
You may have forgotten that it was darkness at the beginning and only
after thatlight
was made.

Ers:
It’s true, but all these are created by God and leave the right
with him to decide what the main is. Aren’t you tired
gentlemen?

Loz:
Not at all, it’s a great pleasure to speak with you, do you
agree Thomas?

Thomas:
It’s a great honor to be here and I listen to your conversation
with great pleasure.

Ers:
Before they set the table I’ll relate you a story and relieve
the tension a little.

I
have a friend who lives too far from here and he visited me a few
days ago. He is a detective and deals with criminals. And he read me
a letter of one of the bastards who repented that part of his life
about which he was writing in this letter.

Loz:
No wonder because every thief or robber starts repentance after he is
seized.

Ers:
Yes, it’s so in most cases. Here is what the repentant wrote –
he repented of that time when he committed a lot of bad things. He
wrote that he reformed and he didn’t even look towards those
acts.

Thomas:
If he reformed, how did it happen that he was seized?

Ers:
I didn’t say that he was seized. At first I had the same
question and asked my friend. He told me that this person hadn’t
been seized by anyone and even his identity was not known to anyone.
This letter was on another detective’s desk and then it was
given to my friend to investigate. He confessed to doing such crimes
that it was obligatory to investigate these acts.

Thomas:
It’s interesting what made him changed his mind. Did he mention
it in his letter?

Ers:
No, he didn’t mention the
reason why he changed his mind.
There are just some phrases. For example, he said he was blind, now
he recovered his sight and he sawthe light.

Loz:
Perhaps the Bible had influence on his decision.
He inspired me with his personality, soI’ll be delighted to make his
acquaintance.

Ers:
Yes it would be nice, but perhaps he wrote this confession before his
death, because people don’t usually write such letters.

Loz:
Such people may make
a claim on honesty.

Ers:
Honesty isn’t the main thing for a man. We, all are like
climbers, we move upward
slowly till we get the top.

Thomas:
And in the case of falling we’ll find ourselves straightin hell.

Ers:
It’s the worst thing that can happen to a man, but everybody
has to remember that the key of paradise is in his hand.

Loz:
But he lets slip the
key when heis falling
from the top into
the underworld. It would be better for him to hold it not in a hand
but with teeth.
A man thinks that he will be forgiven everything and he is free in
his actions, but
he is responsible for his actions before both sides.

Ers:
You are right, but there is a limit to everything. A
man shouldn’t forgetthe
truth for some minutes of pleasure, he must be careful in his
actions.

Thomas:
If you include deliberation and caution in pleasure, it won’t
be pleasure.

Loz:
It’s difficult to resist the temptation when its price is too
high.

Ers:
A soul is another essence in a man and therefore a soul should
overcome temptation in spite of its price is so high.

Loz:
That one who can’t resist the temptation will become
a hell dish and despite itthey don’t care about it.

Ers:
Evil spirits are very much aware of their behavior. If a kind man
sees a blind one going to the precipice he’ll help him, and a
wicked man, on the contrary will facilitate him to fall into the
precipice.

Thomas:
Temptation is a demand
coming from a man’s mind.

Loz:
A demon sits down on his shoulder at times and gives him some advice
to tempthim.

Ers:
If a man has a pure soul nobody can hurt
him. A demon is nothing special. But
his patron is very powerful. He manages to destroy and spoil, to
establishhis
domination over the earth by fear. He achieved so much that he is
called an invader of life.

Suddenly
there was a knock on the door and a young maid went into the room,
who told them that the invited guests had already come. . After
some minutes of silence Mr. Ers took out a watch from the pocket of
his jacket and looked at it.

Ers:
Can you see gentlemen how much time has passed? It’s always so,
when you have an interesting interlocutor, time flies. Now the guests
are waiting for us and we’d better go to meet them.

Mr.
Ers asked the guests to follow him and led
them into the hall where there was a large wooden table and the table
was set, the new
guestswere waiting
for them there.

The
host asked the guests to sit down at the table and ordered servants
to pour wine into glasses.

Loz
took the advantage of starting a
conversation: - Allow me Mr. Ers to make the first speech.

Gentlemen,
I have been in many families but I
haven’t met such a hospitable host. I’d like to wish this
family every success.One
of the guests, by the
name of Mos, stood up and said with
a happy face: -I’d like to add that in our part of the world
the nicest and most delicious table is laid
here in this family.

The
guests picked up
this manner and by standing up proposed toasts to Ers’s family.

Ers:
Gentlemen, nobility of the family isn`t defined by beauty of the
table, although I thank you for this toast.

Thomas:
Beauty can be very tempting as gold.

One
of the guests, whose name was Libi, bent
towards Thomas and shook hands
friendly.

Libi:
Yes,
you are right. Gold glitters and muddies
a man`s mind.

Mos:
Friends, it is said that gold glitters in hell too. This saying is
more suitable for money.

Libi:
This saying concerns
gold coins. I still think that it
doesn’t illuminate hell but money itself is hell.

Ers:
Money is a cruel and merciless killer. Mr. Bosiue, why are you
silent, you have a
largecollection of coins and your opinion
will be interesting.

Bosiue:
You are speaking so interestingly that I didn’t cut in. As to
the collection, yes, I have it indeed, but I am not good at it, just
when I hold a golden coin in my hand I feel myself more bravely, as
if it adds strength
to me.

Ers:
You are an interesting interlocutor and that’s why a
conversation becomes interesting.

Loz:
Nothing special, we just held a
play of thoughts.

Mos:
By the way, what about playing
cards after dinner?

Bosiue:
I’ll also join you with great pleasure and I’ll choose
Sola as my partner, of course,
if he doesn’t refuse
to partner me at cards.

Sola:
Mr. Bosiue, how can I refuse
to partner you? But I am afraid it
won’t worktoday because I have to leave you
early. But before that I’d like to relate you an interesting
story that happened when we had
some repair work in my estate. There
worked an old peasant, who has six unmarried daughters. A few days
ago my neighbor visited me, who is an owner of an estate as well and
asked me for all six
girls` hands in marriage. Of course
I, got surprised and let him go with refusal, but didn’t think
at that moment why
this one man needed propose marriage
to six girls altogether simultaneously. I didn’t understand
what all thatmeant, I couldn’t rest
easyand
the next day I visited him. I wish I didn’t come, because there
was bad news to
me. My neighbor had a heart attack and died.

Loz:
What a pity, do you think that your refusal caused this fact?

Solo:
No he had heart problems before and my refusal doesn’t matter.
I just can’t understand why he came to me with such a stupid
request. I even thought that he was a maniac and I don’t regret
indeed that I refused him.

Ers:
I can’t tell you what drove him, but he had a goal by all
means. In contrast to you I have a more impressive story to relate,
that happened a long time ago, I have a friend, who was a builder.
One day he asked me to come to him I didn’t delay and visited
him that day. He warned me not to laugh at him, because he had to
relate a strange story. Then he gave me sheets of paper
on which something was written and
he asked me to read.
Certainly I read itand got dull with astonishment. He
had written a very interesting novel. As it seemed he decided to
become a writersome
years ago and he used
to engage in this occupation secretly,
but he confided it to me, because I was his only friend. Although it
is not the main thing, thirty-three years have passed
since then and I remember the story
written in the novel
till now.

Loz:
Could you relate us what your friend wrote?

Ers:
I’ll relate you what I remember as far as possible, because a
lot of time passed and
I have lost the thread of memory a long time ago.

Basically
he wrote about a struggle
between kind and evil, I remember
some of the expressions – the powerful weapon of evil is envy
and disgust. There were two heroes, kind and evil who found
themselves together on the desert island. What I remember well is
that there was related about a struggle of ideas between kindness
and wickedness. Besides, I
especially liked some phrases,
which I remember, for instance –
“A man meets his conscience in the dark and losesto it.”
“Who can forgive evil can’t overcome him.” “The
evil has a heart like dark night.”
“Those play heroes who are born coward.” Yes, gentlemen
it’s incredible, but I remember these phrases after so much
time.

Mos:
He probably copied
famous philosophers` phrases. It’s hard to believe that such a
talent for writing was
arisen in an ordinary builder so unexpectedly.

Loz:
Do you know Mr. Mos that genius is in simplicity?

Ers:
I apologize to you Mr. Moss, but you don’t know what you
say. I can tell you with confidence,
that I haven’t met these
phrases anywhere else and I have no
idea how he thought up so many good ideas. I stake my estate on
it if any of you show me any book
where these phrases will be imprinted.

Anger
was read straight
on Mr. Ers’s face, because he was sure in truthfulness of his
words.

Ers:
Here are some moreand if you’d like you can
write them down – “Beauty oscillates between goodness
and evil.” “A pig learnt to whistle and fancied it-self a
nightingale.” “Thirst for knowledge leads us to a sin.”
“The greatest talent is love.” “Who enjoys looking
at evil he sinks in his own shit.” “Kindness is a child
of faith. Flesh has no mind.” “Man, you
are a human if you justifythe existence
of a body.” “Kindness is
like a drop of water
fallingunless
it breaks a lie.”
These phrases belong to my friend
indeed and I have read them with my own eyes, and you Mr. Mos, with
your distrust, you
bring into question the uprightness of my words.

Mos:
I am sorry, I didn’t want
to annoy you I just expressed my
opinion which turned
out foolish now, when I thought it over.

Ers:
I apologize to all of you for getting so furious. In short, I’ll
tell the main thing. I used to goto him almost every day for three
years and watched him how he worked on his novel. Then it happened so
that I had to leave the country for three months. As I arrived I went
to my friend, as if I had a premonition of something bad, but I
couldn’t imagine what happened.

I
directly went in his house because
the door was open. I saw him standing at the fireplace and throwing
some papers into the fire. He looked at me and said – “It’s
the last.” Then he came to me with tears in his eyes and
embraced me. He destroyed the whole work. I
asked him why he did it and he gave me such an answer to my question,that-it will be incomprehensible for
people and what`s the
point to say it?!

Of
course, I quarreled with himover his senseless behavior but he
was so irritated that there was no point to talk to him.

Libo:
It is a very interesting and at
the same timeincredible story.
What happened next?

Ers:
Then he told
me, as he finished writing the novel he sat down and read it from the
beginning to the end. He
said that he waited for me for two
or three days and he wasn`t going to burn but
as I didn’t appear that’s why he did it. He seemed to
burn itfor
three days little by little.

Thomas:
Where is your friend now?

Ers:
You asked me so that you know what happened to him. He led
a usual life for two years, he just
worried about his
behavior during that time and he
tried to rewrite the novel to restore it several times, but he
couldn’t.Then
a regrettable thing happened. He got into mental hospital.
In one word, this genius man went
mad.

Loz:
Genius is a friend of madness.

Bosiue:
He seemed to die.

Ers:
No sir, he is alive and he is still there. Poor Shandor... He has
almost been in mental hospital for thirty years.

I
often go to see him because he doesn’t have anybody except me.
Mr. Loz, it’s strange but you said the exact phrase that he has
used in one of the episodes of his work.

Loz:
It suddenly came to my mind and I said, it is just a coincidence and
nothing more. Perhaps I have heard it from you sometime and I
remembered it now.

Ers:
I might even say it. My poor friend has an interesting surname
but I don’t know where
he is from and I couldn’t find out.

Bosiue:
What’s his surname?

Ers:
Najruab.

Mos:
When you visit him, do you talk about anything? Does he remember
anything from his work?

Ers:
He remembers the only thing that he has written something, but he
doesn’t remember what he has written or what it was about. He
thinks that someone took away his work and locked him up in mental
hospital. He is obsessed by this fixed idea.

Bosiue:
Maybe there is a grain of truth in his words.

Ers:
What do you mean, sir? Say it more legibly. Do you know anything
concerning this case?

Loz:
Mr. Bosiue means that he was incited by invisible powers to destroy
the work. As a result of all that he went mad though that version can
be acceptable, but there is another one.

Bosiue:
It’s hard to believe what happened. Maybe some mysterious power
made him to do it.

Ers:
Thank goodness, otherwise I thought Mr. Bosiue blamed me.

Bosiue:
How could I think it about you, Mr. Ers?

Loz:
I’ll go with you to him once because it will be very
interesting to meet him.

Ers:
As you like Mr. Loz. Do you know what an interesting thing he said to
me?! – ,, Why are we considered mad? Maybe because we are few,
and I don’t consider so that it can be the contrary and you
will turn out the mad.”Bosiue:
Your friend has an interesting point of view.

Mos:
It would be interesting to know how the confrontation between evil
and kind characters ended in that work.

Ers:
I don’t know how this story ended but what I have read I
concluded from it that a winner is impossible to be revealed because
this confrontation is between evil and kind powers. These two powers
dominate the world and none of the mortals can measure the strength
of these them. Hurricane and flood are created by nature as well but
which of them has more strength nobody knows.

Mos:
What was else interesting written there?

Ers:
There was written about truth, for people truth is that they consider
themselvesto
be true and actually they aren’t interested in reality.

Bosiue:
Unfortunately this is
the reality of nowadays. God didn’t
create the earth for
it that the majority of people
surrender themselves to arrogance and selfishness. Some
behave so that even a beast will envythem.Ers:
There lives a dormant beast in all of us, that’s why god will
come down from the clouds and all the eyes will see him, even those
who break their given word to him every day... “And all the
tribes of the earth will cry before him.”- I suddenly
recollected these words from the Bible.

Sola:
In my opinion, everything isfault ofthat there was made a mistake at the
beginning. A man mustn’t be forgiven, because when he knows
that he’ll be forgiven for everything that he commits then
he lets it become a habit.

Bosiue:
The Creator loves his creatures
and that’s why He
is gracious to them. Don’t forget that a man is the only
creature who can fight against evil.

Ers:
And it’s often forgotten that he mustn’t enjoy God’s
confidence and shouldn`t
make himself bold.

Mos:
It’s true if you give somebody a finger to bite he’ll eat
up your arm.One
of the guests named Teso, who worked at the local newspaper as a
journalist, moved forward a bit and addressed Mr. Ers.

Teso:
I know many of them who are bold in their actions. I met one of them
some time ago he is a murderer and doesn’t care about a man’s
life.Mos:
Do you know him personally or there was an article about him in the
newspaper?

Teso:
Yes, I know him personally and I published the article about him in
the newspaper. One day he visited me in my house without permission
and made his confession. He confessed the fact of sixteen mens murder
to me.

Mos:
Why did he need it, you aren’t a priest?

Teso:
I can’t tell you what his intention was.

Ers:
Did he relate his
activities in details?

Teso:
Yes, I’ll tell you. His name is Andrew, you’ll get
surprised but he has related in details how and where he committed
his crimes.

Mos:
He is impudent and bustard, that your Andrew is.

Teso:
While he was relating he had such an expression on his face as if he
was a witness of these murders and not an executor. I watched and
noticed how he enjoyed playing as he had got the feel of his role.

Bosiue:
Poor one, he couldn’t realize what he did.

Loz:
Didn’t you inform the police about it?

Teso:
He warned me not to tell anyone anything for a month otherwise I
would be the seventeenth victim and what should I do? He had
committed so much cruelty that I didn’t doubt that I also could
survive. After a month, of course, I informed the police.

Loz:
It seems that your confessor often visits Satan for a consultation.

Ers:
Alas, who don’t understand what they do! Such people come to a
bad end of their existence.

Libo:
If he realizes what he does and yet, it aggravates more his guilt.Bosiue:
He can’t imagine what will expect him.

Mos:
Nobody knows what will expect him.

Bosiue:
He stands in the flame of hell and he’s a friend of death, I
hope he’ll soon meet it.

Teso:
I told him the same but he replied that to kill a man doesn’t
mean to meet death, because he had seen real death. Although he
didn’t relate what he had seen.

Ers:
Mr. Loz, once you related an interesting story
to me on which really can be said to be the art of death.

Loz:
Yes, I related it to
you and Mr. Gige it.

Gige:
It’s an incredible story, relate it again please.

Loz:
Such fact happened indeed. Once I was away on business in one
of the cities,where a big cathedral was
erected and there, about thousand of
people poisoned themselves in
order to die.

A
person who was called Rev persuaded them to take poison. I watched
them falling down one after another as dominoes. It was an
indescribable thing.

Mos:
Were you there exactly at that time? What a striking coincidence!

Loz:
As I told you, I was away on business in that city and I was
having a walk near the cathedral. I
heard some noise and went in. The
most noticeable what struck my eyes was that all of them were richly
dressed and were holding small
glasses in their hands which
they drank in asynchronized way.

Ers:
Whata pity that a swindler stirred
up so many peoples mind.

Gige:
It seemed they thought to find salvation in this rite and this
enabled them to commit
suicide.

Ers:
I am sure there were selected the majority of such people who had
never thought about anything except dressing well and eating during
their lifetime.

Solo:
I know people of such class. They
give advice on everything to everybody
and then laugh at them from an outsider’s viewpoint.

Bosiue:
Such ones don’t
give but distribute advice and there is nothing left for them-selves.

Mos:
Never mind Mr. Solo, you know this
saying: he who laughs last, laughs best.

Ers:
No sir, he laughs best who laughs loudly and not who laughs last.
I think such interpretation is more verisimilar for this time,
because that saying
was disfigured a long time ago and
it is assumed so nowadays.

Bosiue:
I am sorry that people are so cruel.

Solo:
It isn’t worth worrying, because they don’t deserve it.
Unfortunately for us,
we often makea
mistake in
recognizing such people.

Bosiue:
An eye makes a mistake feeling doesn’t. That’s why we
should believe feelings more than an eye.

Ers:
Most of people don’t expect wrath from heaven and that’s
why they are impudent.

Bosiue:
What can we expect from an ordinary mortal when a trade fair is
opened in the cathedral?

Mos:
If we judge so to enter a cathedral with money must be prohibited,
because money is evil and one of Satan’s weapons.

Teso:
According to you, it means that Satan feeds cathedrals with our own
hands. Don’t be offended, my friends, but it’s nothing
more than complete nonsense.

Sola:
Don’t consider this issue so strictly, because most of people
are under the control of a stomach.

Bosiue:
Do you think thathuman`s source of sins passes
through a stomach,an organ that isn’t interestedin anything except one thing to fill
up an empty space?

Solo:
Yes, I do exactly.

Ers:
I think if a man is upright, he won’t let a stomach to control
him.

Loz:
It doesn’t concern a stomach but it’s a sense too –
imagine you are sitting in the theater and watching an interesting
performance, at that moment a late spectator comes into the hall and
sits down behind you. He smells so badly that people sitting around
are sighing anxiously. It’s interesting what will your organ of
sense feel in this case?

Mos:
Of course, I won’t be really pleased and get angry, and if
there is another seat I’ll change a place.

Loz:
No sir, imagine that there is no other place and that seat was the
last one that was occupiedby that late spectator.

Bosiue:
You don’t leave us another choice Mr. Loz, in this case there
are two options either you have to stand it or you should do
something. But everybody has to decide what and how individually. Ers:
In these cases it’s necessary to move your attention to another
thing, for instance to a performance that you attend or any other
thing.

Teso:
I would probably push some of spectators and altogether we would make
himto
get out of the hall.

Thomas:
I would just go out from the hall and take a breath of fresh air,
because I think that in frequent cases an organinfluences a man indeed.

Ers:
I liked Mr. Thomas’s consideration as his decision indicates a
man’s honesty.

Gige:
I get convinced once again that wisdom doesn’t come only with
addition of years but a man may have gained it rather much earlier.
And I see so much wisdom in Mr. Thomas that perhaps I’ll even
borrow some from him and nothing will decrease with him.

Bosiue:
And one more thing, if there isn’t something in a man that
opens the door for wisdom, in that case his life will pass without
this magnificent event.

Ers:
I`ll borrow it from one of the thinkers and tell you that a man’s
wisdom isn’t defined with a great number of grey hairs on his
head. As for Mr.Thomas he is a gifted young man and
a progressive thinker. But nevertheless, definite years are necessary
to say about a man that he has become wise. Don’t get offendedany of youthis is just my consideration. Fruit
needs time to ripen in order to be picked from the tree, although
it’s too important to gather fruit in time not to get dried on
the tree and not to be left without being tasted.

Thomas:
I think that Ididn`t
say anything genius, but still I am grateful for warm words.

Loz:
Mr. Thomas’s modesty as well indicates that he is worthy ofour attention indeed and he really
deserves to be praised.

Ers:
I’ll expand on it and tell you that I haven’t done
anything deliberately to gain wisdom. I just followed a voice of the
symphony created from a gentle breeze which life offered me and I
have never followed a storm.

Loz
looked at guest without being noticed who were listening to Mr. Ers
with pleased faces.

Loz:
Do you hear Mr. Thomas, what words?! I have been telling you what a
wonderful person Mr. Ers is.

Ers:
Don’t make me blush Mr. Loz. You’d better relate
something interesting to us, otherwise you praised me to the skies
and you know I dislike when I am praised. As you know, I sometimes
happen to travel in different countries as well and once I had to go
to one of Latin America countries. The best place is a coast there
and I often used to gofor a walk there and during one of
my walking I saw a little girl who was trying to drag something into
the sea. I certainly came to help her and what I saw that was a small
white shark which looked more dead than alive. I told the girl to
leave it alone because to be so close to it was too dangerous. She
didn’t obey me and asked me to help her to drag it into the
sea. The shark soon disappeared in the water. It happened so quickly
that I couldn’t realize what was going on.

The
girl was so satisfied and glad that she headed along the coast
dancing and I called her behind her back “how did you know that
it would survive?” She answered “I didn’t know and
how could I know I am so little after all”

Teso:
What a sentimental story! May I publish this story in my newspaper?

Ers:
Yes, it would be good, but don’t mention me in it please,
because I have no wish to appear in society too much.

Bosiue:
Some people spend so much time to appear in society and you...

Ers:
How can I waste time on it, I know its price very well and that’s
why I try to use time for another more important thing.

Teso:
When my spouse died I felt it keenly, but after some time has passed
the pain got relieved.

Loz:
Time will take sorrow with itself it is the only cure for a pain that
is distributed free of charge.

Teso:
It depends on a man, as some of them don’t need the help of
time, because they don’t care about anybody except themselves
and interest nothing at all.

Ers:
Such people, when they stay alone with themselves, are very poor.
When you aren’t thirsty and you drink spring water, it isn’t
tasty, but who is thirsty for him it is life.

Solo:
OK, it is clear, but in which category will you list these peoplewho experience time and can’t
change anything?

Ers:
I can’t divideanybody into categories and
accordingly I won’t list them in, because for that they are
destined it will be fulfilled by all means, although if they wish and
do their best to direct their life in the different direction they
may change something.

Solo:
Allow me to agree with you, a lot of things can be changed indeed, if
a man wishes.

Loz:
Do you think that every man’s way is determined from the very
beginning? Believe me it isn’t so.

Ers:
I agree with Mr. Loz, The Creator gave a man the right of choice and
it means nothing is determined.

Sola:
So, has the saying – “there is everything written on a
man’s forehead” lost its topicality in your opinion?

Loz:
No it hasn’t, because it didn’t even have it.

Teso:
I happened to be a witness of an interesting event and this story
will explain a lot. It happened in the same house where I live. A bad
accident happened to my neighbor`s son. The child’s parrot flew
out from a cage and perched on a branch of the tree nearby the
window. The child climbed on the windowsill, leaned forward and fell
down from the second floor. Fortunately, he survived, but he
sustained a strong injury in the head. Doctors` diagnosis to him was
a fracture of skull base. The child turned into a living object. A
head of the family sold everything what he had and paid a lot of
money tothe
hospital to have the child on the artificial breathing apparatus. He
himself went to one of the monasteries as a novice, where he stayed
for a long time and even got the rank. I don’t know what rank,
but it isn’t the main thing, because a miracle happened. One
nice day a messenger brought him a letter, where it was written that
his child had opened eyes and asked him to come to the hospital.This
story proves the idea once more that a man’s fate is in his
hands. He did receivethe grace of God for his frankness.

Ers:
What happened next? The head of the family most likely continued his
service in the monastery, didn’t he?

Sola:
No, he didn’t stay in the monastery he came back to his family.

Libo:
What a sly man. Although, God answered his petition and saved his
child.

Ers:
You aren’t right Mr. Libo. What you say it is sacrilege.

Libo:
Perhaps I don’t have to judge, but I consider it to be
sacrilegious what that man committed.

Loz:
I don’t think this story finished so and therefore let’s
listen to the end what happened next.

Teso:
Mr. Loz is right. I haven’t finished relation yet. I stopped
talking for a while to wet my whistle with wine. And you jumped the
gun. At first I was seized with the same feeling as Mr. Libo.

I
talked to my neighbor and he told me that he was going to stay in the
monastery, if the child didn’t recover and this vow had been
made by him.

Libo:
I couldn’t understand anything. What did this man think?

Mos:
He was double sly, nothing more.

Ers:
Maybe he is sly, but I am interested in quite another thing. Does
this event prove it for you that doom hasn’t occurredand the man changed the fate of the
child with his action? In this case I am a supporter of the idea,
that it happened what was written on his forehead.

Gige:
Only the powers of darkness or lightness canchange something.

Thomas:
Do you suppose that one of the powers has interfered?

Gige:
I can’t tell you who interfered but the fact is, that some
power pushed him to it.

Bosiue:
That’s always so, as something good or bad happens after it
everybody use to blame the powers of darkness or lightness for
interference in that.

Solo:
The child has survived and that’s the main thing.

Gige:
If he made a deal with the evil power then he has to pay them a debt.

Teso:
If he has to pay a debt back to Satan, he’d better smother the
child with his own hands because they won’t survive still.

Bosiue:
What are you talking about you think he went to the monastery in
order to make a deal with the powers of darkness then?

Teso:
No, I don’t think so, because it would be a foolish idea, but
everybody knows very well that the powers of darkness act more there
where more faith is. I think he didn’t want to choose a wrong
way, but he was offeredto help and as it is typical of
every man he showed a weak will, he couldn’t stand temptation
and he ran his head into the noose.

Thomas
looked at Mr. Loz who was angry with Mr. Teso’s words.

Loz:
Gentlemen, did you think that the Lord of hell doesn`t have time for
paying visits?!

Bosiue:
It’s easy to tempt a man who is in trouble and confused.Unfortunately,
after that he gets himself into more trouble than his child’s
death.

Gige:
You seem to joke bitterly Mr. Bosiue. What can be worse than the loss
of a child?

Bosiue:
If he made a deal with the powers of darkness he will get a tan in
hell for sure and what can be worse than it.

Libo:
When you die and decompose in the ground there is no point in
anything.

Ers:
Believe me everything has a point. Time will come when decomposition
passes and we will be responsible for everything.

There
was a silence at the table for a while. A pause use to fall after a
hard conversation. The silence lasted until a maidservant broke it.
She dropped a plate from her hand accidentally and broke it.

Ers:
I apologize for the servant’s carelessness that broke such a
wonderful silence. Silence is the best composition among those of
music which have been created in the world.

Loz:
Mr. Ers you said a very interesting assumption.

Thomas:
I wonder which symphony is silence. Ers:
The first and the last, my Thomas.

Loz:
Generally speaking I like Mr. Ers’s everything, his words and
estate as well.

Gige:
Mr. Ers I always think, when I am at your place, to tell you but I
don’t dare. Perhaps you teach me how to look after my estate,
because I have never time for it.

Ers:
A lot of people like it. You aren’t the first who has told me
it. As to a garden, care of it and everything in general, a hired
hand helps me in it, who has been working for seventeen yearsfor me.

Gige:
I ask you, if possible to lend me or rent me your hand for several
days, because I couldn’t arrange things in my estate and maybe
my servants will learn anything from him. If you don’t deny
I’ll pay him double and I’ll be grateful to you.

Ers:
Consider this issue settled. You needn’t pay him because he
works for me and he has good earnings.

Loz:
Mr. Gige do you have a large estate?

Gige:
Yes, large but it isn’t maintained.

Ers:
It will be difficult to teach your servants something in a couple of
days, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Gige:
Thank you Mr. Ers, I always have hopes for you.

Ers:
You seem to be in no mood today, Mr. Gige. Is something the matter
with you?

Gige
No, I was just invited for dinner at my friends` and there was an
unpleasant talk held.

Loz:
Were you the reason of this talk?

Gige:
I don’t know who my friend meant when he addressed all of us
and said – “Do you know what I’ll tell you, I am
not offended that you sometimes deceive me, but I am offended that
you think I am duped.

Ers:
It doesn’t matter probably he meant those who deceive him, and
you are not guilty.

Gige
I don’t know it with confidence whether he meant me or not and
that’s why I worry about how to come to my best friend.

Loz:
It isn’t worth worry, go to your friend and ask him
straightforwardly who he meant. Isn’t it simple?

Teso:
Mr. Gige, I’ll tell you something but don’t get annoyed,
you may have concealed something from him and you don’t
remember, that’s why you worry.

Gige:
Mr. Teso, you might be right.

Teso:
Which friend is talked about? Is that one, who blames everybody foreverything in our town?

Gige:
Yes, I mean him. Though, Mr. Teso is joking, because he doesn’t
blame anybody for something, he is just a chief public prosecutor of
the town and he fulfils his duties well.

Loz:
Your friend has a bad profession. An idea came to my mind. I am going
to visit this town again approximately in a month and if you invite
me I’ll visit you without fail and meet your friend, the public
prosecutor, because I like to communicate with people of various
professions.

Gige:
I’ll host you and Mr. Thomas as well with great pleasure. It’s
a great honor for me to host you.

After
that the guests talked a little and left.

Thomas
didn`t get a wink of sleep that night and he spent all night walking
along the coast. At dawn He came to Ers’s house where Loz was
already waiting for him at the gate.

Loz:
We have to go because Patron is calling me. I didn’t say good
bye to Mr. Ers. I told him we have some business and promised him to
be back in the evening.

They
left that place and found themselves in a familiar room to Thomas.
Loz went into Mr. Luci’s room. Thomas took out a golden pen
from his pocket and rolling it between his fingers. Thomas decided to
play a trick by means of the pen and he was rolling it until Loz’s
arrival. Loz returned before long.

Loz:
What will we do, let’s go and visit Mr. Ers’s mad friend,
who is locked up in mental hospital?

Thomas:
As you like, let’s go. I have a request may I ask Mr. Lucisomething?

As
Thomas finished his word there was a voice from Mr. Luci’s room
that informed that he could come in there. Thomas looked at Loz from
the side and entered the room.

Luci:
Sit down. Tell me what you want.

Thomas:
Could you tell me why you need me?

Luci:
Your bravery is estimable even now you dared and entered to say it.Thomas:
It isn’t hard to guess still I can use this boldness.

Luci:
It will be a pity if this boldness turns into impudence. Be such as
you are. You see Mr. Loz how strong and almighty he is. You too can
become of similar abilities, of course, if you don’t refuse our
collaboration.

Thomas:
You have Mr. Loz, I suppose I won’t be able to live up to your
expectations.

Luci:
Let me decide on the earth at least what ability which of you has. Meanwhile
Thomas availed himself of the time. He took out the golden pen from
his pocket and put it on the table in order to turn this pen into a
witness of the conversation. It would help him to fulfill his planned
trick later on.

Luci:
I see you are a little bit intrigued. And I’ll tell you that
you have a stronger soul than Mr. Loz. Consequently I need more
strong souls and you are really that one who can take the lead of our
strong souls’ army. New blood is always necessary and I know
that Loz won’t be offended with this news, because we do the
same work. You still have time to think it over and I am busy
therefore give up questions and leave me alone.Thomas
took the pen and went into the main room where, in his opinion, Mr.
Loz had to be but he wasn’t there.

He
availed himself of the time and entered the room of chests. Then he
took out the pen quickly from his pocket, put it into the smallest
chest and left the room slowly. There was nobody again in the main
room. Thomas stayed for some minutes and then he was going outside,
but someone touched him and it gave him a start, this someone was
Loz.

Loz:
Thomas, I think you are excited and do you conceal something from me?

Thomas:
Mr. Loz, do such things happen here? I am just so because of Mr.
Luci`s meeting.

Loz:
No, of course, Ijoked. Nothing is hidden here. What
such happened in the room?

Thomas:
He had a different face.

Loz:
What kind of?

Thomas:
When we met first time he looked forty-fort five years old and now he
looked seventy.

Loz:
Patron’s met the Almighty and that’s why he has changes
on his face, but it’s temporary and it will be over in some
time.

Thomas:
It wasn’t pleasant for me to see his face.

Loz:
It happens to patron during the meeting with him. He use to feel
keenly and it is always marked on his face. Let’s give up
talking about it. It’s time to go to Mr. Ers’s mad
friend, do you remember?!

Thomas:
Yes, I remember. It wouldn’t be bad to go because I am not like
myself today as if I don’t feel it to be in myself.

Loz:
Let’s go and visit poor Shandor.

As
Loz finished his word they found themselves on a country road at
once. There was a big, white house in a hundred steps away. They
headed towards it slowly. It was just that clinic where Ers’s
friend Shandor was. Loz showed some documents to a doorman and asked
to show that room where Shandor dwelt.

The
doorman had such a funny face that Thomas hardly couldsuppress a laugh. His ears and nose
were as large as a fairy character’s ones. The doorman led them
to a ward and he himself went along the corridor. Shandor
was in bed and as he heard a noise jumped out of his skin just in
underwear.

Loz:
Mr. Shandor, we are your fiend Ers’s friends. My name is Loz
and this is Thomas.

Shandor:
Ers isn’t here. He is at home, why are you looking for him
here?

Loz:
We know that he isn’t here. We’ve come to see you.

Shandor:
And why do you need me, I am like a thrown out object, that nobody
wants it any more.

Loz:
We heard your story from Mr. Ers and got interested.

Shandor:
Which story, that some people stole manuscripts from me?

Thomas:
We don’t know it was stolen or not and that’s why we are
interested what happened in reality.

Shandor:
Reality. What’s reality? Maybe that one what we, people tell
each other and then we disfigure it. You know, young man, I am
personally in mental hospital, but I am not so mad that I can’t
understand where your truth was lost.

Loz:
Tell us what happened to you seventeen years ago?

Shandor:
I wrote something seventeen years ago, some people were not at all
happy that vast masses of people would read it.

Loz:
Which some people, can you be more specific?

Shandor:
If I am more specific you will suffer from the same fate, therefore I
prefer keeping silence.

Thomas:
We aren’t scared.

Shandor:
Who are you and why are you interested in my story or why do you
think that I have something to tell you?

Thomas:
Mr. Loz and I heard this story from Mr. Ers and we are just
interested.

Loz:
Yes, we are here just out of interest.

Shandor:
I wouldn’t like to make roughly speaking but I don’t
trust you especially you Mr. Loz. Only don’t ask me why I think
so, because after it even a single sound won’t come out to you
from my mouth.

Loz
signed Thomas with a hand to leave the room and they went into the
clinic yard.

Thomas:
Did he feel anything?

Loz:
He felt me and got scared. It’s a pity that we didn`t have a
good walk.

Thomas:
Won`t we come around toMr. Ers? You promised that we would
return.

Loz:
No, there are enough visits for today. We have to return because I
have some business.

Loz’s
one movement and they found themselves on Marx Street.Thomas:
Aren’t you going to come in?

Loz:
No, you enter. I’ll be back soon.

Thomas:
Before you go may I ask you something?Loz:
Tell me and if I can I’ll help you.

Thomas:
I can’t find the pen, it was a gift from my father I think I
left it in the room of chests and could you find it for me.

Thomas
did it deliberately, because he knew in case of finding the pen Loz
would see the moment of the conversation by all means, when Luci gave
a preference to Thomas.

Loz:
OK, wait for me.

He
looked at Thomas suspiciously, as if he guessed something. Despite it
he still went to find the pen. Some minutes weren’t passed as
he went out from the house with the pen in his hand he had
astonishment on his face and he came to Thomas who was standing on
the opposite side of the street.

Loz:
Did you do it deliberately?

Thomas:
What do you mean?

Loz:
You acted consciously and calculatedthat I would find out about your and
patron’s talk by the pen.

Thomas:
I couldn’t calculate what Mr. Luc would tell me. So I didn’t
plan anything, I just took advantage of the occasion and made you see
the truth.Loz:
You seem cleverer than I supposed, but what will you gain from it?Thomas:
Time, Mr. Loz, time. You were constantly repeating that time didn’t
matter at all and it couldn’t change anything. After the talk
with your patron I had such impression that time devours and weakens
souls.

Loz:
This talk doesn’t mean anything. Patron just had a try at
convincing you.

Thomas:
Nothing needs to be explained. I don’t prove anything. I just
have my point of view concerning this or that issue. And one more
thing, I understood that death follows on time’s heels and
freedom of the soul from flesh follows death. You know I don’t
tend to talk much but still I’d like to leave a word to you and
please listen to me.

I’ve
not livedlong
on the earth and I don’t know how long my existence will last,
but I’ll still dare and tell you, to live for thatit’s the same as to live and
not to be thirsty but drink a lot of water and that’s why die.
But I don’t actually want to die because I thirstfor life not water. Two ideas have
disturbed me for my wholelife and I can’t understand
which of them is right. The first one is that there is no point in
behaving correctly or incorrectly. And there is no point as well in
creating something and even if it is appreciated by all high values.
And there is no point as well in what you will do for someone,
because your appetite overcomes people’s ingratitude and it
inhibits your action. And even the words which are pleasant or
unpleasant to us have no point. And there is no point in turning
familiar words because we all already know their meanings.

There
is no point in proving that God’s created all of itbecause this idea is divided in two
as well.

And
it’s said that every man is born free, equal in his dignity and
rights. A man is given mind, conscience and so on. Tell me is there
the point in talking about it?! It’s considered that a man is
the best among God’s creatures. Though, the word “shame’’
is echoing continuously from his birth that we always hear by our
ears. But there is also no point in proving my idea and thus I say
so. You maybe interested in the second idea that I’ve thought
about, but if you observe my words you’ll understand that the
second idea is here too. By the way, I understood all these when I
was with you and thank you for this, I appreciate it.

Loz
was standing speechlessly and thinking, Thomas nodded, made an
about-face and headed along the street to the right.